Sep 24, 2008 10:02 AM

This week, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is launching its annual Brake Safety Week, a program to promote commercial vehicle brake safety across North America.

Running through September 27, CVSA-certified inspectors will be conducting a variety of enforcement and educational activities emphasizing the importance of proper commercial vehicle brake inspection, maintenance, and operation. CVSA initiated Brake Safety Week in 2005 as part of its Operation Air Brake Campaign.

"By far, brakes make up the largest percentage of out-of-service violations cited during the approximately three million roadside inspections conducted annually throughout North America," said CVSA’s Executive Director Stephen F. Campbell.

Drivers will receive educational and other helpful information, such as the CVSA brochure Have You Checked Your Brakes Today?, as well as its "Spot Check" brake adjustment indicators that drivers can install to help measure if brakes are in proper adjustment. In addition, drivers can tune into a podcast that has experts answering driver’s brake safety questions. To listen online or download the podcast, visit www.cvsa.org, scroll down to "Publications and Podcasts," and click on "In the Safety Lane with CVSA."

Evidence that points to brakes continuing to be a significant problem includes these statistics:

• Results from a number of National Transportation Safety Board investigations into high-profile commercial vehicle crashes have revealed problems associated with brake operation, inspection, and/or maintenance.
• Results from the recent Large Truck Crash Causation Study, sponsored by the United States Department of Transportation, indicated that brake problems were present at the time of the crash in nearly one-third of all cases.
• Brakes comprised the largest percentage—about 52.5 percent—of out-of-service violations cited in roadside inspections conducted during Roadcheck 2008.
• Nearly nine percent of all brakes equipped with manual slack adjusters and four percent of all brakes equipped with automatic slack adjusters are placed out of service.