Brake Safety Week for 2015 runs from Sept. 6 through Sept. 12 across the United States. The main goal is to raise awareness of the importance of properly installed and maintained braking systems on commercial vehicles. To do this, experienced inspectors will examine brake systems on vehicles across the country. They will be checking for any brake system violations or any out-of-alignment brakes, both of which can be extremely dangerous.
Any time brakes are not functioning properly, the vehicle stopping distance increases and decreases braking power, which can cause or contribute to accidents. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance partners with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to sponsor Brake Safety Week every year, and they also perform a surprise single brake check day every spring. If inspectors discover any violations, they will put the vehicle out of service.
Throughout these inspections, inspectors will be looking for faulty components or missing parts, including drums, rotors and pads. They will also check for leaks in hydraulic fluid or air brake components and any indicator lights. Some states may even perform additional tests to determine braking efficiency based on the total vehicle weight and braking force.
Depending on the situation, an accident where brakes malfunctioned could be the vehicle owner’s or part manufacturer’s fault. If the manufacturer released a defective part from the factory, this could form the basis of an auto product liability lawsuit. Injured parties in these cases could speak with a personal injury attorney to determine what types of compensation they may be entitled to receive and who may be the appropriate parties to seek those damages from.