The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has just announced that this year's annual Brake Safety Week will occur between September 6 and 12.
Brake Safety Week is a North American event in which local law enforcement agencies conducting a large number brake inspections on large trucks and commercial passenger vehicles like buses to identify any shortcomings in their systems or flat-out violations. On top of these checks, Commercial Motor Vehicle inspectors also run general outreach and educational efforts, often with the help of major motor carriers.
Last year's Brake Safety Week saw over 13,000 vehicles inspected, and placed over 2,000 of them out of service for brake safety violation. It saw an overall out-of-service rate of 16 percent, a large jump over the previous year's 13.5percent.
The brake inspections given generally include close looks at components to identify loose or missing parts, as well as checks for air or fluid leaks, worn linings, pads, drums, or rotors, and any other damaged components. The inspection also covers antilock systems, such as malfunctions indicator lamps and pushrod stroke measurements.
Brake Safety Week has been an annual even since 1998, and since then, over 3.4 million brake systems have been inspected.
Here at Greening Testing Laboratories, we strive to stay on cutting edge of all of the latest news and trends in the braking industry. Our testing services are used by many of the world's leading automakers to assess the performance of their vehicle brakes, components and materials. GM has recognized our facilities as suitable for the most demanding and accurate tests, following the guidelines of major standards organizations.