The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will be conducting brake inspections for over the road trucks and large busses in the upcoming months. While one inspection event will be held September 16-22, the other will be held on an unannounced day. The inspections will be conducted nationwide, including the areas surrounding Long Beach.
The CVSA is a nonprofit organization consisting of members from state and local governments, private carriers, insurers and others within the trucking industry. It works in cooperation with the USDOT and NHSTA. The goal of the alliance is to make trucks operating on the nation’s highways safer. Since its inception in 1998, more than 3.4 million trucks have been inspected.
According to CVSA, brake repair is the most common reason for keeping a truck off the road and in a shop. The average truck can weigh more than 15 times the weight of a passenger vehicle. Therefore, the air brake system designed to stop a moving truck must be in good condition at all times. The unannounced inspections under Operation Airbrake are designed to check system components for wear and to make sure everything is properly adjusted.
In the realm of vehicle accidents, most people think of driver error as negligence. However, vehicle maintenance can also be a form of failing to meet a reasonable standard of care. This is especially true in safety aspects of a vehicle, such as brakes and tires. Those who are injured through the actions of another driver should consider having a consultation with a personal injury attorney. If there is a belief that a poorly maintained vehicle was the reason for the collision, the attorney can have an inspection conducted, request maintenance records or question the vehicle owner regarding maintenance practices.
