Inspectors in 47 jurisdictions throughout Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 4,898 commercial motor vehicle inspections in one day as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) brake-safety inspection and enforcement event.
Each year, CVSA law enforcement jurisdictions are invited to participate in a one-day unannounced brake-safety inspection and regulatory compliance enforcement event. On that day, CVSA-certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors conduct their routine roadside inspections with a focus on brake systems and components, and provide brake-related inspection and violation data to CVSA.
This year’s Brake Safety Day data found that of the 4,898 inspections conducted, 4,328 commercial motor vehicles did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations – 88.4% of the total number of vehicles inspected. However, inspectors identified 570 (11.6%) commercial motor vehicles that were traveling on roadways with brake-related critical inspection item vehicle violations. Those vehicles were immediately restricted from further travel until the critical violations could be properly addressed.
Inspectors identified 330 commercial motor vehicles with 20% brake violations; meaning 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles) service brakes had an out-of-service condition resulting in a defective brake. That was the top Brake Safety Day violation, accounting for 57.9% of all brake-related out-of-service violations.
Inspectors found other brake violations on 256 (44.9%) of the commercial motor vehicles inspected. Examples of other brake violations include worn brake lines/hoses, broken brake drums, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc.
Seventy-three commercial motor vehicles had steering-related brake violations – 12.8% of all brake-related out-of-service violations.