The Essential 2023 Guide to Commercial Vehicle Brake Safety: Unveiling the Concerning and Encouraging Numbers

Jun 09, 2023

Last year’s Brake Safety Day led to the suspension of around 1,300 vehicles due to brake issues.

This spring, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Brake Safety Day witnessed inspectors discover critical brake-related vehicle inspection items on 11.3 percent of the examined vehicles. This intensive focus culminated in the suspension of 773 commercial vehicles, pending violation rectifications.

Notably, the previous year’s Brake Safety Day led to the cessation of approximately 1,300 commercial vehicles, accounting for 14 percent of those scrutinized, due to brake issues.

During the unexpected one-day inspection across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., standard vehicle and driver inspections were carried out.

In this unannounced one-day enforcement and inspection blitz across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, commercial motor vehicle inspectors conducted standard vehicle and driver inspections. The obtained brake-related data provides a snapshot of the commercial motor vehicles’ brake systems state.

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The brake-related out-of-service conditions reported from this campaign were primarily:

Among the inspected vehicles, 479 had 20-percent brake violations, which led to the vehicle being considered out of service.

This year, 11.3% of inspected vehicles had critical brake-related violations, resulting in 773 vehicles being restricted from travel until rectifications were made.

The CVSA’s Brake Safety Day is an opportunity to gather extensive data relating to the health and wellness of brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. This year, the focus was on brake lining and pad violations.

Of the 6,829 inspected commercial motor vehicles, inspectors identified 108 power unit and 87 towed unit lining and pad violations.

Eight of the CVSA member jurisdictions used performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) on Brake Safety Day, resulting in four vehicles (4.35 percent) placed out of service due to inadequate overall vehicle braking efficiency.

Operation Airbrake, a CVSA program, aims to improve commercial vehicle brake safety across North America.

Operation Airbrake, a CVSA program, aims to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety across North America, working in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation.

Each year, Operation Airbrake holds two brake safety campaigns:

Both campaigns focus on identifying brake system violations, with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of highway crashes caused by defective braking systems on commercial motor vehicles.

In conclusion, the ongoing commitment to Commercial Vehicle Brake Safety across North America is evident through the thorough inspections, data collection, and initiatives such as Operation Airbrake. By prioritizing brake system health, commercial motor vehicles can ensure safer journeys on our highways.

When inspectors conduct the brake portion of a Level I or Level V Inspection, they will:

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