CVSA Sidelines 1,273 Vehicles for Brake Violations
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Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance inspectors removed more than 1,200 commercial motor vehicles with critical brake violations from roadways during an unannounced single-day brake safety enforcement operation.
Inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 10,091 inspections May 26, placing 1,273 vehicles out of service.
Inspectors tracked and reported this data to CVSA for Brake Safety Day, the group’s inspection and enforcement initiative.
CVSA released its May 26 Brake Safety Day results. Canada, Mexico and the U.S. reported a total of 1,725 brake hoses/tubing violations, this year's focus area, from the one-day unannounced brake safety initiative. https://t.co/of4dAW4gMB pic.twitter.com/pegl5gP5jY — CVSA (@CVSA) July 20, 2021
“We are sharing the results to call attention to the importance of commercial motor vehicle brake safety,” CVSA President John Samis, a sergeant with the Delaware State Police, said in a July 19 statement.
CVSA said brakes continue to be one of the most important systems within a commercial motor vehicle. Yet, despite the industry’s knowledge of how crucial they are, brake-related violations continue to dominate vehicle out-of-service conditions.
Brake system violations also were the top vehicle out-of-service category during last year’s three-day International Roadcheck driver and vehicle enforcement safety initiative.
Six jurisdictions from Canada, 42 U.S. jurisdictions, and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and National Guard participated in the safety operation. In Canada, 946 inspections were conducted. In Mexico, inspectors conducted 487 inspections, and in the U.S., 8,658 inspections were conducted.
The brake-related out-of-service rate in North America was 12.6%, CVSA said. The U.S. rate was 13.3%, Canada rate was 11.4% and the Mexico rate was 2.9%.
The U.S. had the most violations by far, with 1,151 vehicles removed from the roadways.
In addition, inspectors compiled and reported data specifically on brake hoses and tubing. The three jurisdictions reported a total of 1,725 brake hoses/tubing violations during the one-day operation. Broken out by country: Canada reported 251 chafing violations, Mexico reported 186 and the U.S. reported 1,288.
CVSA asked inspectors to submit data on several different brake hose/tubing chafing violations that were not out-of-service violations, including:
- Category 1: 664 CMVs (38%) had brake hose/tubing wear that had extended into the outer protective material.
- Category 2: 509 CMVs (30%) had extended through the brake hose/tubing outer protective material into the outer rubber cover.
- Category 3: 275 CMVs (16%) had brake hose/tubing wear that makes the reinforcement ply visible, but the ply is still intact.
- Category 4: 169 CMVs (10%) had reinforcement ply visible and completely frayed, severed or cut through.
“Brake hoses and tubing are essential brake system components and must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and flexible,” Samis said. “We chose to focus on brake hoses/tubing this year in an effort to reduce deaths and injuries as a result of commercial motor vehicle brake system failures from pressure or vacuum loss due to brake hose/tubing deficiencies.”
This year’s Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Aug. 22-28. Throughout the week, inspectors will conduct North American Standard Inspections of commercial motor vehicles, focusing on the vehicles' brake systems and components. https://t.co/u19W0TsO7c pic.twitter.com/JQOnk45XIC — CVSA (@CVSA) May 19, 2021
Brake Safety Day is the alliance’s unannounced brake safety initiative; however, CVSA also holds Brake Safety Week each year and announces those dates well in advance. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 22-28.
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