September Brake Safety Month for Trucks

Brake Safety Week for trucks runs September 16-22. Drivers can expect to see officials from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) conducting roadside inspections of commercial vehicles along U.S. highways and byways. The CVSA’s goal is to inspect and remove commercial vehicles with faulty brakes or brake systems in need of maintenance to ensure the safety of everyone sharing the road with these large trucks.

Large commercial trucks rely heavily on their brake systems to avoid serious and fatal truck accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), these trucks were 50 percent more likely to have brake violations upon inspection. Earlier this year, the CVSA conducted roadside inspections of commercial trucks across the U.S. and Canada during an unannounced Brake Safety Day.  CVSA inspected over 11,000 commercial vehicles and took almost 1600 off the road for brake violations.

The CVSA aims to enforce the regulations for brake safety mandated by the FMCSA. Routine inspection and maintenance of truck brakes and hydraulic brake systems is imperative for truck safety. A typical tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and can become a lethal weapon on the road if brakes fail to stop the vehicle. Improper installation or failure to inspect and maintain a truck’s brakes can result in serious accidents with catastrophic injuries and fatalities.

During the scheduled Brake Safety Week in September, certified members of the CVSA will conduct a 37-step inspection of the vehicle’s brake systems, air and hydraulic fluid systems, rotors, pushrods, air chambers, axles, air reservoir systems and mountings, linings, pads, drums, rotors, and brake system warning devices. Overall, they will analyze brake efficiency.  These inspectors will immediately take off the road trucks with improperly installed brakes or brakes in need of repair.

Truck Accidents Can Be Catastrophic

According to the FMCSA, there were close to 100,000 truck accidents in the United States reported in 2016. Of these crashes, over 4,000 were fatal and approximately 56,000 additional truck accidents involved serious injury. Injuries sustained in a collision with a tractor-trailer typically leave victims with broken bones, severe cuts and lacerations, head and spinal injuries, as well as permanent disability relating to cognitive and physical impairment. Drivers and passengers of non-commercial vehicles suffer the most catastrophic injuries when involved in a crash with a commercial truck.

Efficient operation and maintenance of brake systems in large trucks is vital to the safety of all drivers and passengers on the road. Truck drivers must rely on these systems to be precise and work as expected during normal braking and in the crucial times when they must slam on their brakes. The CVSA Brake Safety Week will help ensure the safety of all those sharing the road with commercial vehicles.

Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP Help Victims of Truck Accidents Claim Compensation

If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident, call Galfand Berger LLP at 800-222-USWA (8792) today, or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Philadelphia truck accident lawyer. Our offices are located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Reading, and Lancaster and serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.