Brake Safety Week blitz puts 17.8% out of service

by Today's Trucking

Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspectors in Canada inspected 1,975 vehicles and placed 351 (17.8%) out of service (OOS) for brake-related violations Aug. 21-27 for Brake Safety Week.

Inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 38,117 CMV inspections during that week, placing 13.3% out of service for brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations, according to a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance news release. That also means that nearly 87% of the CMVs inspected throughout North America did not have brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations.

Fifty-three Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transportation participated this year in the voluntary brake-safety inspection and enforcement initiative.

CVSA table on brake-related out of service violations
(Table: CVSA)

Inspectors in Mexico inspected 1,740 CMVs, out of which 44 (2.5%) were placed out of service. In the U.S., of the 34,402 vehicles inspected, 4,664 (13.6%) were placed OOS.

Also, inspectors identified and documented 6,305 brake hose/tube chafing violations, which are a common brake-related violation and was the focus area for this year’s Brake Safety Week. Inspectors reported brake hose chafing violations in four different categories, with varying levels of chafing severity, including two which were out-of-service violations.

CVSA table on brake hose chafing violations
(Table: CVSA)

In addition, 11 jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers (PBBT) assessed the braking performance of 392 CMVs. Twenty-nine vehicles failed their PBBT test – a 7% out-of-service rate. PBBTs, based on mechanical or electronic decelerometers, assess the overall vehicle braking capability through a stopping performance test in which deceleration and/or stopping distance is obtained, independent of brake type or application method.

The next Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 20-26, 2023.


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