07/17/2023
Mark your calendars - This year's Brake Safety Week is set for August 20-26. Brake Safety Week is an annual commercial motor vehicle brake-safety inspection, enforcement and education initiative conducted by law enforcement jurisdictions in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Brake-related violations comprise the largest percentage of all out-of-service vehicle violations cited during roadside inspections.
What will inspectors be looking for? According to the CVSA, when inspectors conduct the brake portion of a Level I or Level V Inspection, they will:
▪️ Check for missing, non-functioning, loose or cracked parts.
▪️ Check for contaminated, worn, cracked and missing linings or pads.
▪️ Check for S-cam flipover.
▪️ Listen for audible air leaks around brake components and lines.
▪️ Check that slack adjusters are the same length (from center of S-cam to center of clevis pin) and the air chambers on each axle are the same size.
▪️ Ensure the brake system maintains air pressure between 90-100 psi (620-690 kPa) and measure pushrod travel.
▪️ Inspect for non-manufactured holes (e.g., rust holes, holes created by rubbing or friction, etc.) and broken springs in the spring brake housing section of the parking brake.
▪️ Inspect required brake system warning devices, such as anti-lock braking system (ABS) malfunction lamp(s) and low air-pressure warning devices.
▪️ Inspect the tractor protection system, including the bleedback system on the trailer.
▪️ Ensure the breakaway system is operable on the trailer.
