WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s Brake Safety Week once again in North America. The annual event, put on by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, will see certified CVSA inspectors and industry partners conducting a variety of enforcement and educational activities emphasizing the importance of proper commercial vehicle brake inspection, maintenance and operation.

“We continue to see brakes as the most significant problem in the enforcement data, representing more than half of all out-of-service violations,” said CVSA executive director, Stephen F. Campbell. “Brake Safety Week – part of CVSA’s Operation Air Brake Campaign – puts a spotlight on this issue and emphasizes both enforcement and education activities that attempt to improve knowledge and regulatory compliance, and ultimately to reduce crashes.”

Since its inception, the Operation Air Brake Campaign has resulted in more than 2.2 commercial vehicle million brakes inspected. Officials say brake adjustment continues to be a key focus of the program. Of the brakes inspected, 8.9% of those equipped with manual brake adjusters were placed out-of-service and 3.9% of self-adjusting brake adjusters were placed out-of-service. Of all vehicles inspected, 17.1% were placed out-of-service for a brake-related defect.

During this week’s event, the CVSA and its partners will be doling out educational information, such as the CVSA brochure, Air Brake Adjustment—Why is it so Important?,  as well as CVSA’s “Spot Check” brake adjustment indicators drivers can install to help measure if their brakes are in proper adjustment.

For more information, visit www.cvsa.org.