Putting on the Brakes

What It Takes

A truck blowing through a brake safety inspection: ironic, yes?

So it went in Park City, Utah, last month, with at least two incidents involving a cement truck and a dump truck. Possible reasons their drivers didn’t stop:

• They didn’t see the inspection spot.
• They saw the inspection spot but were behind schedule.
• They saw the spot and chose not to stop, thinking they wouldn’t pass the inspection.

All three of those possibilities are alarming, with degrees of negligence. But it’s the third one ⏤ not wanting to get busted ⏤ that’s most troubling and dangerous.

Anyone who’s been to Park City knows the majestic geography. Nestled into the Snyderville Basin, with mountains rising around it, I-80 and Route 40 also pass just to the north and east of town. With the popularity of the town (the film festival, the skiing, the foodie culture, the hiking trails) comes traffic and commerce.

Yes, you need trucks. Trucks with good brakes that pass inspection.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) coordinates annual Brake Safety Weeks. Inspectors cover Canada, the United States, and Mexico. And the results are decidedly mixed. Sometimes they have unannounced brake safety events. It’s like a flash mob breaking into song in your local shopping mall, only they’re on your highway and there to inspect and either send you on your way or ticket and maybe take you out of service. So, it’s nothing at all like a flash mob at the shopping mall. And the results are decidedly mixed.

That’s how it went on April 30th of this year. By the numbers:

• 4,898 commercial motor vehicle inspections
• 88% passed inspection
• 570 vehicles placed out of service

As our friends at Transport Topics detailed it:

“Inspectors found other brake violations on 256 (44.9%) of the commercial motor vehicles inspected. Examples of other brake violations include worn brake lines/hoses, broken brake drums, inoperative tractor protection system, inoperative low-air warning device, air leaks and hydraulic fluid leaks.”

Proper preparation prevents poor performance, yes? There are any number of reasons or excuses for not having the vehicle checked. And that’s all vehicles on the road. We’re all better off when we’re prepared and alert.