Brake Safety Week 2024
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced the upcoming Brake Safety Week 2024, scheduled to take place from August 25 – 31, 2024. This annual event holds significant importance in promoting brake safety awareness and enforcing compliance among commercial motor vehicles, ultimately enhancing road safety and reducing potential accidents related to faulty braking systems.
During Brake Safety Week, certified inspectors will conduct meticulous inspections of commercial motor vehicles, focusing on brake lining and pad violations. Any vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations will be removed from public roadways until these violations are corrected, ensuring a safer environment for all road users.
Focus on Brake Systems and Components
For this year’s Brake Safety Week, inspectors will focus on the condition of brake linings and pads. Brake lining and pad issues may result in vehicle violations and could affect a motor carrier’s safety rating.
In addition, some jurisdictions have performance-based brake testers (PBBT) and will be using them during Brake Safety Week. A PBBT is a machine that assesses the braking performance of a vehicle.
Educational efforts by inspectors, motor carriers and others in the industry take place during Brake Safety Week and are integral to the success of the campaign.
In addition to educational outreach by law enforcement agencies, transportation safety organizations and individual officers, CVSA also aims to help prepare drivers, motor carriers, owner-operators and mechanics for this year’s Brake Safety Week.
- View the inspector’s inspection procedure.
- Download a checklist that outlines the tools needed to inspect S-cam brakes, what to look for and how to measure pushrod stroke.
- Learn about the components of the vehicle that the inspector will check.
- Download a flyer with 10 brake lining and pad tips.
Brake Safety Week also serves as a reminder to drivers and motor carriers of the importance of a proactive vehicle maintenance program and provides an opportunity for law enforcement to highlight the importance of brake safety.
Operation Airbrake
CVSA’s Brake Safety Week campaign not only focuses on inspections but also aims to raise awareness through education and outreach efforts. By outlining the brake-system inspection procedure, CVSA enables drivers and motor carriers to be aware of the specific elements that inspectors will evaluate during roadside inspections. This knowledge empowers all stakeholders to proactively ensure that their commercial motor vehicles comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
Properly installed and well-maintained brake systems are paramount to maintaining the braking capacity and stopping distance of commercial trucks and buses, significantly reducing potential safety hazards on the road.
CVSA’s Operation Airbrake Program is dedicated to improving commercial vehicle brake safety across North America. Through roadside inspections and educational initiatives, the program aims to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial motor vehicles.
As we approach Brake Safety Week 2024, let us collectively prioritize brake safety in commercial motor vehicles. By adhering to the highest safety standards and working together, we can create a significant impact in enhancing road safety and protecting lives on our highways.
CVSA Releases 2023 Brake Safety Week Results
Inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. conducted 18,875 commercial motor vehicle inspections Aug. 20-26 for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Brake Safety Week. For the weeklong inspection and enforcement initiative, inspectors focused on the brake systems and components of commercial motor vehicles and submitted brake-related data to the Alliance. Of the total vehicles inspected, 87.4% did not have any brake-related out-of-service violations.
Commercial motor vehicles are placed out of service – meaning restricted from further travel – when an inspector identifies critical vehicle inspection item violations, as outlined in the CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.
See all of the 2023 Brake Safety Week Results
