Brake Safety Week 2022 is upon us. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced August 21 – 27 as the dates for this year’s Brake Safety Week. Commercial motor vehicle safety inspectors prioritize vehicle and driver safety by conducting inspections every day. Checking brake systems is always part of the roadside inspection process, but during Brake Safety Week especially, enforcement officials will be paying extra attention. They will be looking closely at brake systems and system warning devices.
Properly functioning brakes are crucial to safe commercial vehicle operation. “Poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and stopping distance of large trucks and motorcoaches, which poses a serious risk to driver and public safety,” said the CVSA president, Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “In those split-second emergency situations, the proper functionality of the brake systems on large commercial motor vehicles is crucial.”
Drivers should always be inspecting their brake systems. The month of August is Brake Safety Awareness month, and throughout the month, the CVSA will be educating drivers, motor carriers, mechanics, and others about brake maintenance and operation. They need drivers to understand how important those parts are to your truck’s mechanical fitness and safety.
According to CSVA, some of the top things inspectors will be looking at are:
- Missing, non-functioning, loose, contaminated, or cracked parts on the brake system
- Non-manufactured holes (such as rust holes and holes created by rubbing or friction)
- Broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake
- Audible air leaks around brake components and lines
- Ensure the air system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi
- Check for S-cam flip-over
- Measure pushrod travel
- Check that slack adjusters are the same length (from the center of S-cam to center of clevis pin)
- Ensure air chambers on each axle are the same size
- Inspect required brake-system warning devices, such as ABS malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices
- Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer
- Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleed-back system on the trailer
For more information on Brake Safety Week, visit the CVSA website here https://www.cvsa.org/news/2022-bsw-dates/.
At Oakley, we are all about safety and making sure our drivers are happy. Each team member in our Oakley Family plays an essential role in keeping our equipment in tip-top shape, so we can safely keep moving America’s food supply down the road.