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Hit the Brakes

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There’s no stopping now! The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week is being held from September 11 – 17, 2016. Here’s what you need to know to make sure you keep rolling!

CVSALogo.jpg2016 Brake Safety Week

Every year the CVSA holds it’s annual Brake Safety Week as part
of their
Operation Airbrake Inspection program. These programs are operated in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

During this week-long program, inspectors conduct brake inspections on commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) – including trucks and buses – across North America. The CVSA also focuses on educating drivers, maintenance providers, and fleet managers on the importance of proper brake inspections, maintenance, and operation.

The purpose of Brake Safety Week is to identify vehicles with brake-system violations to help reduce the number of brake-related crashes on our highways. Since the program started in 1998, over 3.4 million brakes have been inspected.

Air_disc_brake_2.jpgWhy Focus on Brakes?

Brake-related violations represented almost half (43%) of all out-of-service (OOS) violations that were issued for CMVs during the 2015 International Roadcheck campaign.

During the 2015 Brake Safety Week:

  • 18,817 vehicles were inspected in the U.S. and Canada
  • 7.7% were placed OOS for a brake adjustment violation
  • 6.9% were placed OOS for a brake component violation

Brakes are a critical component of any vehicle – commercial and personal. Braking systems and components that are improperly installed or not maintained can severely reduce your braking ability. This will increase the distance you require to stop safely which can lead to some pretty serious accidents.

What Are Inspectors Looking For?

Inspection1_2.jpgDuring this week, inspectors will be conducting Level 1 – North American Standard (NAS) Inspections. The main things inspectors will be looking for are:

  • Out-of-Adjustment Brakes
    Problems with self-adjusting brakes
    are often overlooked or not properly diagnosed. The CVSA has
    made materials available to walk you through how to diagnose out-of-adjustment brakes yourself.

  • Missing and/or Damaged Components
    A simple inspection of your brakes before hitting the road should help you prevent a violation for this. Common missing and/or damaged components include: hoses, brake chamber brackets, clevis pins, slack adjusters, pads, and drums.

  • Anti-Lock Brake Systems
    If your vehicle has an anti-lock brake system (ABS), your ABS malfunction lamp(s) need to turn on and off when power is supplied to the unit. If they do not, you’re in for a violation! More information on ABS can be found here.

In the 10 jurisdictions that use performance-based brake testing (PBBT) equipment, vehicle braking will be measured using PBBT. A complete guide to testing measures are available on the CVSA website.

How BigRoad Can Help

The BigRoad Mobile App takes the pain out of doing driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs). In just a few clicks, drivers can ensure their fleet manager is aware of what needs to be repaired and follow through to make sure it happens! Download and use the app for FREE!

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