In a nationwide effort to ensure the safety of commercial vehicles on North American roads, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducted its annual Brake Safety Week from August 25-31, 2024. The results, released on October 15, 2024, highlight both improvements and ongoing concerns in commercial vehicle brake safety.
Inspection Overview
During the week-long initiative, certified inspectors across Canada, Mexico, and the United States performed a total of 16,725 inspections on commercial motor vehicles. The good news is that approximately 87% of these vehicles passed inspection without any out-of-service violations, indicating a high level of compliance with safety standards.
Key Findings
However, the inspection results also revealed some troubling statistics:
2,149 vehicles (12.8%) were placed out of service due to brake-related violations.
Of these, 1,355 (63.1%) had stand-alone out-of-service brake violations.
217 (10.1%) had steering axle brake out-of-service violations.
1,216 (56.6%) failed the 20% defective brakes criterion, meaning at least one-fifth of their service brakes were defective.
Focus on Brake Lining/Pad Violations
This year's Brake Safety Week placed special emphasis on lining/pad violations. Inspectors identified a total of 654 brake lining/pad violations:
382 on power units (tractors)
272 on towed units (trailers)
These violations included contaminated, cracked, worn, loose, or missing brake linings and pads.
International Participation and Results
The initiative saw participation from 61 jurisdictions across North America:
Canada:
1,926 inspections conducted
243 brake-related out-of-service violations (12.6% out-of-service rate)
93 lining/pad violations (44 on power units, 49 on towed units)
Mexico:
107 inspections conducted
6 brake-related out-of-service violations (5.6% out-of-service rate)
6 lining/pad violations (1 on power unit, 5 on towed units)
United States:
14,692 inspections conducted
1,900 brake-related out-of-service violations (12.9% out-of-service rate)
482 lining/pad violations (310 on power units, 172 on towed units)
Performance-Based Brake Testing
Eighteen states utilized performance-based brake testers (PBBT) during the week:
452 inspections conducted using PBBTs
26 failures identified (5.75% out-of-service rate)
Looking Ahead
The CVSA's Operation Airbrake Program, which includes Brake Safety Week, aims to reduce crashes caused by faulty braking systems through inspections and education. The organization has already scheduled next year's Brake Safety Week for August 24-30, 2025.
While the high pass rate is encouraging, the number of brake-related violations underscores the ongoing need for rigorous maintenance and inspection practices in the commercial vehicle industry. Fleet operators, drivers, and mechanics must remain vigilant in ensuring the proper function of this critical safety component.
For more information on past brake-safety initiatives and their results, interested parties can visit the CVSA website.
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