Truck drivers should note that the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has announced that in 2020, Brake Safety Week was held from August 23-29. This is an annual brake inspection spree that affects truckers across Louisiana and the rest of the U.S. Inspectors will be out in full force to check if truckers are following brake safety standards. Trucks with poorly maintained brakes will be given out-of-service (OOS) orders.
A spotlight on tubing and brake hoses
The focus of 2020’s Brake Safety Week, as it was for the previous year’s, was on brake hoses and tubing. These components must be properly attached, show an appropriate amount of flexibility and be free of damage and leaks.
Unfortunately, truckers continue to neglect these and other brake components. Inspectors had to give OOS orders to 13.5% of the trucks they inspected last year. When the CVSA held another inspection spree last year called the International Roadcheck, it handed out thousands of OOS orders, 45.1% of which were for the brake system and adjustment violations.
Raising awareness of brake safety
Holding the inspection blitz in August is not an accident. The CVSA has decreed August to be Brake Safety Awareness Month. Throughout the month, law enforcement agencies educate drivers, fleets, mechanics, and owner-operators about the importance of brake safety. After all, faulty brakes can easily raise the risk of a crash occurring.
If you were injured by a negligent trucker
When truck crashes are the result of poor vehicle maintenance, victims may be eligible for compensation. In this state, even victims who are partially at fault can recover damages, though the amount will be lowered proportionally to their degree of fault. To see how strong of a case you have, you may consult a lawyer. You may even leave all settlement negotiations to your attorney.