The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will hold Brake Safety Week 2010 Sept. 12 to 18. The program is part of the Operation Air Brake Campaign, an ongoing effort by the CVSA that is dedicated to improving inspection, compliance, maintenance and performance of commercial vehicle braking systems throughout North America.

This safety event focuses on enhancing knowledge, regulatory compliance and performance of commercial vehicle braking systems. Throughout the week, CVSA-certified inspectors, brake suppliers and industry partners conduct enforcement and education activities with drivers and mechanics at truck stops, weigh stations and other locations.

Out of adjustment air brakes and brake system defects constitute the major reason for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) being placed out of service during roadside inspections. Poorly adjusted or defective air brakes reduce the braking capacity and inhibit stopping distance for CMVs.

Under ideal conditions, the stopping distance of for CMVs is considerably more than that of cars and other smaller vehicles, which increases the risk to other users of the road, the driver and his/her passengers, according to the CVSA.

“While the last several years have seen some improvement in brake adjustment related violations and out of service conditions, we continue to see too many commercial vehicles being placed out of service for brake adjustment and braking system defects,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA executive director. “Compliance with brake-related regulatory requirements is a critical component to highway safety and saving lives, and Operation Air Brake and in particular Brake Safety Week is an important initiative in raising awareness of this fact.”

The Operation Air Brake campaign exists to reduce the out-of-service rate for brake-related defects. This Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) model has been used successfully in other areas of traffic concerns (most notably seat belt usage), and is being employed throughout North America to focus on the very important issue of brake safety and regulatory compliance.

The Operation Air Brake Campaign was developed and initiated by Canada in 1998.