146251780 | Vitpho | Dreamstime
Brake Inspection Truck Photo 146251780 Vitpho Dreamstime 65391aec48319 653be0dedaa1e

CVSA releases Brake Safety Week 2023 results

Oct. 30, 2023
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Brake Safety Week in August logged 682 brake pad and lining violations and placed 12.6% of inspected vehicles out of service in 2023.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has released the results for 2023’s Brake Safety Week. Throughout the week, which ran from Aug. 20-26, inspectors examined 18,875 vehicles in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with a particular focus on brake pad and lining violations. According to CVSA, 12.6% of all vehicles inspected were placed out-of-service due to brake violations

During the Level IV inspections, officers checked about half the CVs than in 2022 ( 38,117), with 87.4% exhibiting no brake-related out-of-service violations. The 2,375 vehicles placed out of service were due to violations such as broken brake drums, loose air tanks, corroded holes in the spring brake housing, inoperative tractor protection valves, cracked linings, loose chambers, or a combination of the above.

Of the vehicles placed OOS, almost 60% failed the 20% defective brakes criterion, with 1,127 out-of-service vehicles featuring stand-alone brake violations and 12.4% exhibiting steering axle brake violations. A total of 379 tractors and 261 trailers had lining and pad violations, highlighting 2023 Brake Safety Week’s focus issue.

See also: Roadcheck 2023: Eyeing trucks at I-40 Memphis

See also: NFL QB's estate settlement after highway fatality shows trucking's lawsuit burden

The focus on brake linings and pads further found that contamination was the most frequent issue with these components, with 214 tractors and 59 trailers logging contaminated pad and lining violations. The least frequent citation was for loose or missing pads, which accounted for 10.70% of lining and pad violations. In total, inspectors issued 682 citations related to these focus areas. In 2022, CVSA targeted brake and hose tube chafing violations, which totaled 6,305 violations.

CVSA recommended the following to improve brake lining and pad performance:

  1. Inspect visible portions of the brake lining and pads as part of your pre- and post-trip inspections.
  2. Look for signs of missing linings, such as grooves in the drum from rivet contact.
  3.  Look at the shoe-to-drum clearance and ensure there is adequate lining on the shoe.
  4. Look for any signs of leaks from the hub or other components that may be contaminating the lining/pad surface.
  5. Ensure there are no missing lining blocks.
  6. Check for visible cracks or voids in the lining block.
  7. Check for any exposed rivets or lining blocks that look loose on the shoe.
  8. On disc brakes, pay particular attention to the condition of the rotor, such as heavily rusted rotors across the entire friction surface on either side or metal-to-metal contact.
  9. Make sure all repairs are consistent with the brake manufacturer’s requirements and guidelines.
  10. Note any issues in your driver vehicle inspection reports and report them to the motor carrier to have the defective linings/pads repaired.

For 2023’s Brake Safety Week, significantly fewer vehicles were inspected than in 2022, with 1,327 vehicles inspected in Canada, nearly 650 less than the year before, and only 9 vehicles inspected in Mexico. In the U.S., inspectors examined 18,031 vehicles in 2023 despite covering 34,402 vehicles in 2022.

Additionally, 397 of 2023’s Brake Safety Week inspections used performance-based brake testers (PBBT), which recorded 18 failures in total for a 4.5% out-of-service rate. 95 vehicles passed PBBT tests with at least one wheel below the 43.5% U.S. federal regulatory braking efficiency threshold.

The next Brake Safety Week is from Aug. 25-31, 2024.

This article originally appeared on Fleet Maintenance, a FleetOwner affiliate and Endeavor Business Media publication.

About the Author

Commercial Vehicle Staff

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of FleetOwner, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

The Future of Mirrors is Closer Than it Appears

Why Mirror Camera Systems are the next step for fleet safety and exoneration While many commercial trucking cameras are similarly marketed, they are not all created equally. The...

The 20:1 Solution: Unlocking the ROI of a Modern Asset Maintenance Solution

Discover how modern fleet maintenance software can drive step-change improvements in shop efficiency, cost control and vehicle productivity, along with how to calculate the ROI...

Digital and AI Solutions for Rideshare Safety

Anyline’s study, “How Digital AI Solutions Can Enhance Rideshare Safety,” reveals rideshare drivers are overly confident in their tire knowledge, risking passenger safety. Download...

Introducing the World’s First Mobile Tire Tread Scanner

Anyline’s innovation allows accurate tire tread measurement via any mobile device, ensuring legal compliance for fleets. Read more and find out how you can cut operating costs...