GREENBELT, MD – Brake violations were up during the 2014 Brake Safety Week blitz organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).

Safety inspectors examined 13,305 commercial vehicles throughout North America during Brake Safety Week in September, and placed 2,162 of them out of service (OOS) for brake violations.

Of the vehicles inspected, the OOS rate for all brake-related violations conducted in North America was 16.2 percent, compared with 13.5 percent for the 2013 event.

The OOS rate for brake adjustment rose to 10.4 percent from 9.0 percent in 2013.

And the OOS rate for brake components was 9.3 percent, up from 7.1 percent in 2013.

As in previous years, out-of-service rates were significantly lower in Canadian jurisdictions compared to U.S. jurisdictions.

The Canadian OOS rate for brake adjustment violations was 4.6 percent, compared to 10.8 percent in the U.S.

Canadian brake component violations totaled 6.8 percent (9.5 percent in the U.S.).

And the total number brake violations in Canada was 11 percent (16.6 percent in the U.S.).

“The ultimate goal of Brake Safety Week is to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems on commercial vehicles,” said CVSA president Capt. William Reese of the Idaho State Police.

“We strive to reach that goal by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, motor carriers and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.”

Roadside inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week included the inspection of brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts, air or hydraulic fluid leaks, worn linings, pads, drums or rotors, and other faulty brake-system components. Antilock braking systems (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps also were checked. Inspectors inspected brake components and measured pushrod stroke when appropriate.

Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program sponsored by CVSA and in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

More than 3.4 million brakes have been inspected during Operation Air Brake since the program’s inception in 1998.