TORONTO, (Aug. 4, 2004) — The annual Operation Air Brake campaign that takes place throughout the U.S. and Canada next month will include for the first time educational events at truck stops across North America.

On Sept. 1, in addition to the brake inspection blitz that will take place at roadside locations, several truckstop operators have volunteered to help sponsor Brake Safety Inspection/Awareness events. Saskatchewan is the only Canadian jurisdiction that will hold such events this inaugural year, but locations will be expanded here in the future, Steve Keppler, spokesperson for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance told Today’s Trucking.

These activities are intended to further educate drivers and mechanics on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance, and operation. Braking system-related defects are consistently the most significant and frequent violations that safety inspectors discover during a roadside inspection.

The demonstrations and the educational material drivers will receive on proper brake operation, how to recognize potential brake problems and the need for properly maintained brakes, are intended to provide them with a learning experience that will enhance safety on the highways. The educational material will also be available to drivers whose vehicles will be inspected at the Operation Air Brake roadside inspections.

The annual Operation Air Brake blitz has two components: first a unannounced inspection campaign in May, and the second scheduled event the first week of September. While Keppler preferred not to release the May results until after the Sept. 1 campaign, he did confirm that the out-of-service gap between the two dates, remains “consistent” for 2004.

Last year, CVSA reported 11 per-cent of vehicles inspected during the scheduled Operation Air Brake campaign were out-of-service for brake adjustment, 7.5 per cent for brake components, and 16.5 per-cent total out-of-service for brakes. Those numbers were quite lower than a surprise blitz in May 2003 which resulted in 13.2, 8.1, and 18 per cent out-of-service rates for the same categories.