The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) recently announced the results of the organization’s annual, unannounced brake check. The event, part of the CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program, was held on May 6^th in 32 different locations in the United States and Canada.

The unannounced event resulted in the inspections of 6337 commercial vehicles. Of those inspected, almost 10 percent were pulled off the road for excessive brake stroke violations. This means that the brakes of the vehicle were out of adjustment. Eight percent of vehicles were pulled for what was classified as brake component violations. These violations include air leaks, cracked or missing components, damaged brake hose or tubing, issues with drums or rotors.

In all, 14.2 percent of the vehicles inspected—approximately 900 commercial vehicles—were placed out of service because of unsafe brakes.

There were 111 vehicles inspected at the Connecticut location. Fourteen of those vehicles were place out of service for brake adjustment violations, 13 were pulled for brake component violations, and another 28 were put out of service for other brake issues.

The organization is now gearing up for its annual Brake Safety Week, which will take place from September 6^th through September 12^th. The event is held in partnership with U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The inspections will be performed by both federal and state inspectors, with the goal of identifying vehicles with out-of-adjustment brakes and brake-system violations.

According to the announcement released by the CVSA, inspectors will be looking for the following violations:

• Air or hydraulic fluid leaks;
• Worn drums, linings, pads, rotors, or other faulty brake-system components;
• Loose or missing brake-system components; and
• Issues of the vehicle’s antilock braking system (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps.

During last year’s Brake Safety Week, there were over 13,000 commercial vehicles inspected, resulting in 2,162 vehicles being pulled off the road.

The braking capacity of tractor-trailers (and other commercial vehicles) can be a significant factor in truck crashes. It takes a loaded truck 20 to 40 percent farther to come to a complete stop than it does for an automobile. Hence, it is critical for the braking systems of trucks to be in safe working order.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, please contact an experienced Westport personal injury attorney today to find out what legal recourse you may have for your pain and loss.