‘Operation Airbrake’ parks more than 2,700 unsafe CMVs

Greenbelt, MD — An unannounced inspection blitz of commercial motor vehicles resulted in 14 percent being placed out of service for brake-related violations, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recently announced.

On Brake Safety Day, which took place Sept. 7, CVSA inspectors checked 7,698 trucks and buses in the United States and Canada. The inspections resulted in 1,064 vehicles being taken out of service for brake violations and 1,680 (22 percent) for other infractions.

CVSA stated that a majority of CMVs featured anti-lock braking systems. Among those vehicles, 11 percent of air-braked trucks had ABS-related violations, while 5 percent of hydraulic-braked trucks had ABS-related offenses.

The event was part of the alliance’s Operation Airbrake program, conducted in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.

“Brake-related violations are the largest percentage of all out-of-service violations cited during roadside inspections,” Capt. Christopher Turner, CVSA president, said in a Nov. 7 press release. “CVSA’s Brake Safety Day provides an opportunity to enhance brake safety. Our goal is to reduce the number of crashes caused by faulty braking systems, by conducting roadside inspections, educating drivers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection and maintenance.”

Larger vehicles require more space to come to a complete stop. According to FMCSA, a loaded tractor-trailer traveling 55 mph in ideal conditions requires 196 feet to make a complete stop, compared with 133 feet for a passenger vehicle.