Truck and bus safety enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada will conduct 12 hours of brake safety roadside inspections September 5. They also will be giving drivers educational literature and materials about proper brake inspection and maintenance. The event is part of Operation Air Brake, a brake safety campaign that originated in Canada in 1998 and is sponsored by Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and Transport Canada.
Although brake-related defects continue to be the most frequent commercial vehicle equipment violations, the results from Operation Air Brake show improvements in safety compliance, according to CVSA. Since 1998, the out-of-service rate for brakes has dropped by 22 percent in Canada. Since 1999 in the United States, the out-of-service rate has dropped by seven percent. In May of this year, 105,109 brakes were checked during an Operation Air Brake event.
In addition to the roadside brake inspections Operation Air Brake activities promote these objectives:
•Increase drivers' and motor carriers' knowledge of brake compliance and vehicle brake performance.
•Make sure all applicable brake system inspection requirements are followed.
•Encourage regular commercial vehicle brake system inspections throughout North America.
For more information about the Operation Air Brake Campaign, email Steve Keppler Steve Keppler at CVSA, or telephone, 301-564-1623, or fax 301-564-0588.