Inspectors placed 303 U.S. commercial motor vehicles out of service during a one-day enforcement effort focused on brake safety.
In all, inspectors in 45 jurisdictions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico conducted 4,569 commercial motor vehicle inspections and placed 398 (8.7%) of those vehicles out of service due to brake-related violations as part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) unannounced one-day brake-safety inspection and enforcement event.
Last. year, 3,859 inspections were conducted in the U.S. and 448 commercial motor vehicles were placed out of service for brake-related violations.
Of the 4,569 inspections conducted on April 22, 4,171 commercial motor vehicles did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations. Conversely, inspectors identified 398 (8.7%) commercial motor vehicles with brake-related critical inspection item vehicle violations. Those vehicles were placed out of service.
This year, emphasis was placed on vehicles’ drums and rotors. Thirty-two commercial motor vehicles had drum/rotor violations. Fourteen of those violations resulted in the vehicle or combination being placed out of service.
Inspectors identified 237 (59.5%) commercial motor vehicles that met the 20% defective brakes criterion, which is when 20% or more of the vehicle’s (or combination of vehicles’) brakes have an out-of-service condition.
In addition, inspectors identified
- 77 out-of-service violations related to brake hoses and/or tubing
- 48 vehicles had steering axle out-of-service violations
- 38 vehicles failed an air loss rate test
- 112 other out-of-service brake violations, such as worn brake lines/hoses, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks, hydraulic fluid leaks, etc.
Also, nine U.S. jurisdictions utilized a performance-based brake tester (PBBT) on Brake Safety Day and conducted 100 PBBT Inspections. A PBBT is a machine that assesses the braking performance of a vehicle. U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and CVSA’s North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria require a minimum braking efficiency of 43.5%. Eight (8%) vehicles failed to meet the required 43.5% minimum braking efficiency rate and were placed out of service.
CVSA’s unannounced Brake Safety Day is part of Operation Airbrake, a CVSA program dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle brake safety throughout North America. CVSA’s seven-day Brake Safety Week, another Operation Airbrake campaign, is scheduled for Aug. 24-30.
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