A nationwide campaign that outlines the importance of vehicle break safety, called the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Brake Safety Week, is set to run from September 6 to 12. Law enforcement agencies all across the country have opted to participate by inspecting commercial vehicles and asking drivers to check their brakes.
According to the CVSA website, motor vehicle inspectors will conduct brake system inspections on trucks and buses through America. These inspectors will be looking for brake systems that are out-of-adjustment, or have been otherwise violated. If a vehicle is found to have defective or out-of-adjustment brakes, it will be taken out of service.
Other additional inspections that the CVSA may perform are the NAS Level I Inspection, which examines the driver’s identity and the functionality of the vehicle.
“Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of trucks and buses,” reports CVSA on their blog. The company stresses that these issues can pose “a serious risk to drive and public safety.”
Along with the commercial break inspections, CVSA also plans to use other methods to gain more educational outreach. Experts say that the average lifespan of auto brake pads is somewhere between 30,000 to 70,000 miles, depending on the car’s maintenance. Brakes should also be routinely checked for loose or missing parts, leaks, worn linings or drums, and any issues with the antilock system.
Since the program was started in 1998, more than 3.4 million vehicles have been inspected for faulty brakes. During the 2014 Break Safety Week, a reported 13,305 vehicles were inspected. Of those vehicles, 2,162 were taken out of service. They have calculated that break-violated made up about 46.2% of all violations that ended with the retirement of a motor vehicle.
