Oakley Drivers: Prepare for August Brake Safety Week

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Brake Safety Week is August 22-28 and during this week, commercial vehicle inspectors highlight the importance of functioning brake systems by conducting inspections and removing commercial motor vehicles with brake-related violations from the roadways. August also happens to be Brake Safety Awareness Month.

During this week, enforcement officials will inspect trucks and place any vehicles out-of-service if they see that your brake system efficiency falls below the minimum of 43.5 percent. All vehicles that passing inspections will receive a CVSA decal certifying a passed inspection.

Pay close attention to your brake hoses and tubing, which must be properly attached, without leaks, corrosion, or any type of damage. While it’s always important to check all tubes during your pre-trip inspection, really take the time to slowly inspect your air brake system and all brake components, contacting your supervisor if you come across any red flags.

Here are the top items to visually check on regularly and during your pre-trip inspection:

• Air brake chamber
• Brake hoses and tubing
• Cotter pins
• Clevis pins
• Slack adjuster
• Air lines

CVSA provides a helpful brake inspection checklist. Check it out online and save it to your phone for easy reference before a trip. Properly functioning brake systems are crucial to driver safety and everyone else on the road. Remember, save the date: August 22-28 and be safe out on the roads, Oakley Family!