Nov 11, 2008 8:41 AM

Commercial vehicle inspectors from across North America conducted a record number of inspections as a part of this year’s Operation Air Brake.

Begun in 1998, the campaign strives to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial vehicles by conducting roadside inspections, and by educating drivers, mechanics, and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance, and operation.

Sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), Operation Air Brake takes place each September during the organization’s Brake Safety Week. This program promotes commercial vehicle brake safety across North America.

This year’s Operation Air Brake included 20,810 commercial vehicle roadside inspections—the largest number of inspections ever completed during the campaign.

The roadside inspections resulted in 2,339 vehicles (11.2%) being placed out-of-service for brake adjustment defects, 1,873 vehicles out-of-service (9%) for brake component defects, and 3,835 out-of-service (18.4%) for brake defects.

These numbers represent an increase over 2007’s out-of-service rates, which were 11.4%, 8.6%, and 17.8%, respectively.

CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico.