GREENBELT, MARYLAND — Inspectors in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico placed 2,369 commercial vehicles out of service for brake-related violations during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week, August 23 to 29. That is a 15.3% out-of-service rate out of 15,528 brake inspections. The other 84.7% of vehicles, 13,159 in all, had no brake-related out-of-service violations.
Fifty-one jurisdictions took part. Brake Safety Week is CVSA’s seven-day inspection and compliance program aimed at finding brake-system violations and educating drivers, carriers, and other stakeholders about working brakes.
Results by Country
- U.S.: 14,165 inspections, 2,134 vehicles placed out of service, 15.1% out-of-service rate
- Canada: 1,306 inspections, 232 vehicles placed out of service, 17.8% out-of-service rate
- Mexico: 57 inspections, 3 vehicles placed out of service, 5.3% out-of-service rate
Most inspections, 14,150 or 91%, were North American Standard Level I Inspections, the 37-step procedure that examines the driver’s operating requirements and the vehicle’s mechanical fitness.
Drums and Rotors
This year’s focus was drums and rotors. Inspectors recorded 141 drum and rotor violations, which put 64 vehicles out of service. Some vehicles had more than one violation.
- Air disc brakes: 97 violations (32 broken rotors, 45 rusted rotors, 20 metal-to-metal)
- S-cam brakes: 36 violations, all broken drums
- Hydraulic brakes: 8 violations (1 broken rotor, 3 rusted rotors, 4 metal-to-metal)
Other Out-of-Service Violations
- 1,176 vehicles (49.6% of those placed out of service) met the 20% defective brake criterion, meaning 20% or more of the service brakes on the vehicle or combination had an out-of-service condition
- 92 violations for steering axle linings
- 119 for other steering axle conditions
- 145 for air loss rate
- 600 for brake hoses and tubes
- 759 other brake violations, including tractor protection system, air tanks, parking/emergency/breakaway brakes, low-air warning device, hydraulic brake, or electric brake
Twelve U.S. jurisdictions with performance-based brake testers ran 657 inspections with them. Twenty-nine vehicles (4.41%) failed to meet the required 43.5% minimum braking efficiency and were placed out of service.
CVSA encouraged drivers and carriers to inspect regularly, keep up proactive maintenance, and fix problems promptly. Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program.
Next year’s Brake Safety Week is scheduled for April 18 to 24, 2027.
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