CVSA Releases Brake Safety Week 2023 Data
Brakes are one of the most important aspects of a truck: just as important as a truck’s capability to move is its ability to stop. To that end, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has had their annual Brake Safety Week, and has now analyzed the data. The results may sound good at first, but it is important to strive for 100% when it comes to such an important aspect of truck maintenance.
Data
From August 20th to the 26th, there were 18,875 vehicles inspected across the North American continent (though only nine inspections were conducted in Mexico and 1,327 in Canada). Of that number, 2,375 vehicles (12.6%) received out-of-service violations due to questionable quality in their braking systems.
The most common forms of out-of-service violations included broken brake drums, loose air tanks, loose chambers, and bracket linings. Some of the vehicles had more than one form of violation, which can be pretty scary to think about when it involves a tractor-trailer combination totalling approximately 80,000 pounds.
Brake Safety Week 2023 had only about half the number of total vehicular inspections compared to the prior year; 18,875 versus 38,117. At the same time, however, a lower percentage of trucks were placed out-of-service; 12.6% versus 13.3%, which is lower still compared to 2021 at 15.4%.
Conclusion
On paper, the idea of out-of-service violations dropping from 15.4% to 13.3% to 12.6% seems like fantastic progress for safety, but it also shows that the trucking industry still has some room for improvement in this regard, especially considering that the CVSA announces its week-long inspection blitz for brake safety far in advance. Following current trends, we are hoping for a rate 12.3% or lower for the next Brake Safety Week.
Speaking of, the 2024 Brake Safety Week is August 25th-31st. We highly advise that you keep your fleet’s braking systems in optimal shape throughout the entire year, but at the very least it is a good idea to get maintenance done in early August so that your truck(s) do not become another statistic.
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