Safety week identifies a number of truck brake violations
Louisiana drivers might be safer following the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week. Between Sept. 11 and Sept. 17, more than 18,000 trucks were inspected for brake violations. In all, around 3,900 trucks were removed from service. For 2,352 trucks, the problem was brake violations while for about 1,100 there were other violations in addition to problems with the brakes.
The president of the CVSA pointed out that brakes require regular maintenance in order to be safe. Violations inspectors looked for included brakes that were out of adjustment; brakes with damaged or worn drums, rotors, pads or linings; brakes with loose parts; air leaks; and malfunctioning indicator lamps on anti-lock braking systems. Inspectors reported violations with the automatic braking systems of around 8.8 percent of air-brake trucks and 8.8 percent of hydraulic-brake trucks. In addition, more than 15 percent of trailers had automatic braking system violations.
While brake inspections are done regularly, Brake Safety Week helps to raise awareness and to pull some dangerous vehicles off the road. CVSA has another more general inspection in June, Roadcheck, and in 2016, almost half of Roadcheck’s out-of-service orders were due to brake violations.
Truck accidents may occur for a number of reasons besides brake problems including driver fatigue and distracted driving. These accidents can be devastating to occupants of other vehicles. Trucks also have difficulty stopping without a great deal of space in which to do so. This means that truck accidents may be more likely to result in catastrophic injuries. If the truck driver is at fault in the accident, the injured victim may want a lawyer’s help in seeking compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Tags: Truck Accidents
