Canadian enforcement teams placed 15.4% of inspected vehicles out of service for brake-related issues during the annual Brake Safety Week blitz – slightly above the 13.5% recorded in the U.S.

While 1,903 commercial vehicles were inspected in Canada, 28,694 were inspected in the U.S.

The North American initiative ran Aug. 22-28.

Canada, the U.S. and Mexico recorded 5,667 brake hose chafing violations, which represented a special focus for the event.

Most of the chafing violations (82%) did not lead to out-of-service findings, though. Just 8% of these 169 violations in Canada had a visible reinforcement ply that was completely frayed, severed or cut through. Another 9% were cited for wear that extended through the reinforcement ply to the inner rubber layer.

“Properly functioning brakes may mean the difference between a catastrophic collision or the ability to avoid a crash,” said John Broers, president of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), which coordinated the blitz.

Brake-related violations accounted for eight of the Top 20 vehicle-related violations in 2020, according to U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data. Brake system and adjustment violations also accounted for more out-of-service vehicle conditions than any other violation during the three-day Roadcheck enforcement blitz in May.