The annual Brake Safety Week, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, is September 16-22 this year. During that week, CVSA-certified enforcement personnel will conduct random roadside inspections on commercial motor vehicles with the goal of identifying and removing any such vehicles that have critical brake violations. The purpose of the program is to call attention to the dangers of faulty or defective brake systems.
It is absolutely crucial for commercial motor vehicles to have well-functioning brake systems. Therefore, these brakes must be put through regular inspections and preventative maintenance to ensure they operate to the specifications of the manufacturer throughout the entire life of the vehicle. Any brake systems that are either installed improperly or are poorly maintained could become a danger to other drivers on the roads.
Each inspection will be a comprehensive evaluation. Any vehicles that do not pass will be put out of service until they have undergone semi truck repairs in Marion County, FL or elsewhere.
Here are just a few facts that show why the CVSA is taking such significant steps to ensure brake safety on roadways across the United States:
- According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its Large Truck Crash Causation (LTCC) Study, approximately 32.7 percent of all large trucks that have pre-crash violations also had brake problems.
- The LTCC Study also conducted a relative risk analysis that indicated large trucks that were involved in accidents in which the truck’s braking capacity was critical were 50 percent more likely to have had brake violations than trucks involved in accidents in which the braking capacity was not critical.
- Also according to that same LTCC Study, 45.5 percent of all trucks involved in those brake-critical crashes had brake violations, versus just 29.9 percent of trucks involved in crashes of the exact same kind where there were no braking concerns.
- Violations related to brake safety made up the largest total percentage of all out-of-service vehicle violations noted during the 2017 International Roadcheck.
- Last year’s Brake Safety Day provided the CVSA with some additional information to consider for this year’s Brake Safety Week. For example, about 14 percent of all inspections that were conducted during that one-day initiative resulted in a commercial motor vehicle being put out of service due to brake safety violations.
By implementing an entire Brake Safety Week, the CVSA stands to reduce the number of crashes caused by brake systems on commercial motor vehicles that are in poor condition.
Roadside inspections are only one part of brake safety week. Law enforcement agencies will also be implementing new outreach efforts with the aim of educating drivers, owner-operators, mechanics and others about the importance of brake maintenance, performance and operation. The Brake Safety Week is part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program.
If you’re interested in learning more about the steps you can take as an owner-operator or truck driver to increase your brake safety, contact J & M Trailer Repair today about semi truck repairs in Marion County, FL and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.