August 13, 2004

East Lansing.  Officers of the Michigan State Police Motor Carrier Division will be out in force looking for commercial trucks operating with unsafe brakes.  The officers are participating in Operation Air Brake, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).

The Brake Check Day will be held September 1, 2004.  Michigan Motor Carrier Officers, along with roadside enforcement officers from across Canada and the United States, will conduct 12 hours of roadside inspections targeted on brake safety.  The officers will also be distributing educational materials to help drivers maintain their brakes in compliance with the law.

This effort is expected to remove unsafe trucks from the roadways and to promote a greater awareness of the need for drivers and trucking companies to make sure their vehicles' air brakes are properly adjusted and free from defects.  The program originated in 1998.

Data from an unannounced Brake Check Day held earlier this year revealed that 20% of the trucks inspected in Michigan were placed out of service because of brake defects.  Brake problems are the most frequent violation found on commercial vehicles.

Officials from both the U.S. and Canada hope that because of earlier inspections, and as a result of an ongoing public awareness campaign, the September 1 inspection results will show an improvement in the number of trucks operating with proper braking systems.  Results for Michigan and the nation of the September 1 effort will be made available via a second press release.

Read more press releases from the Michigan State Police.