Approximately 2,000 inspectors will be checking vehicles at several hundred locations within 30 U.S. states and throughout the Canadian provinces. CVSA estimates that roughly 13,000 vehicles will be inspected during this year’s Operation Air Brake campaign.
CVSA president Steve Vaughn says that although “there’s no overwhelming evidence of correlation between brake defects and their contribution to crashes, there is sufficient data to show that reducing brake defect occurrences will improve vehicles’ stopping capability. This, in turn, can have a positive effect on the crash rate for commercial vehicles.”
Reducing brake-related violations through increased driver awareness and by making certain all brake system inspection requirements are followed is the goal of Operation Air Brake. The brake safety roadside inspections have been conducted several days each year since 1998. While brake-related defects continue to be the most frequent commercial vehicle equipment violation, according to CVSA, the results of Operation Air Brake show improvements in safety compliance.
During the May 2000 campaign, 18.5% of the 10,344 vehicles inspected were placed out of service for brake violations. The number was down to 16% out-of-service brake violations for the 12,938 vehicles inspected in May 2001.
