Back in May, law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada coordinated in a huge inspection effort of large trucks, pulling the commercial vehicles off roads and looking solely at their braking systems. This happened on a single day: May 15, 2019. It was not announced before it happened.
The surprise truck inspections involved 45 U.S. states and territories along with 10 Canadian provinces and territories. The effort was overseen by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). In that single day, 10,358 commercial motor vehicles’ brake systems were inspected for violations of safety regulations which create dangerous braking conditions for the semi-truck, big rig, 18-wheeler, or tractor-trailer.
During that one day, 1667 large trucks were pulled off the road because their braking systems were too risky to operate. Overall, 16.1% of the rigs were found to have “critical” brake problems.
There were other issues. The most common large truck brake issues discovered during the May 2019 Surprise Truck Inspection were trucks operating in violation of federal safety regulations involving:
- Clamp or roto type brake out of adjustment (86,296 violations);
- CMV manufactured after Oct. 19, 1994, has an automatic brake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear (45,594 violations);
- Brake hose or tubing chafing and/or kinking (37,737 violations);
- No or defective ABS malfunction indicator lamp for trailer manufactured after March 1, 1998 (37,343 violations); and
- Inoperative/defective brakes (32,125 violations).
They also found another 1125 trucks being driven with brakes in violation of 49 C.F.R. §393.45 (chafed rubber hoses) and 124 trucks on the roads with brakes in violation of the same federal regulation with kinked thermoplastic hoses. While brake hoses may seem like a minor issue, the reality is that faulty or flawed brake hoses on a huge big rig or semi-truck can create an extremely hazardous situation for both the truck driver and those sharing the roads with him. From CVSA President Chief Jay Thompson:
“Brake hoses and tubing must be properly attached, undamaged, without leaks and appropriately flexible. Because they are such an important part of the braking system, the failure of hoses or tubing can cause problems for the entire braking system.”
Another nationwide brake inspection is scheduled for September 2019. This has been announced in advance as part of “Brake Safety Week” (September 15-21).
Bad Brakes in Big Rigs Cause Deadly Truck Crashes
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the ability to brake a large commercial truck, either to slow the vehicle or to come to a full stop (“braking capability”) is a recognized factor in truck crashes in this country.
Time and distance are two considerations here. Fatal truck crashes will happen if the semi-truck does not have enough time or sufficient roadway to come to a stop.
First, there is the time it takes for these huge vehicles to come to a stop. Aside from complete failure, brakes that are not working at full capacity mean that the truck will take longer to slow or to stop. The weight of this large truck complicates things: a semi-truck fully loaded with heavy cargo will be harder to halt than a big rig with an empty truck bed.
Second, there is the amount of roadway the large truck needs before it comes to a complete halt. IIHS reports that fully loaded tractor-trailer trucks will need 20% – 40% more roadway in which to come to a stop than a smaller vehicle (car or SUV). This distance will be even greater if the roadway is wet from rain or slippery because of ice.
When bad brakes in large trucks are involved, the risk of a fatal truck crash rises. The danger is highest for those sharing the roads with the commercial truck, those who are in passenger vehicles and unaware that the semi-truck or big-rig is being driven with bad brakes.
Why? In a large truck crash, the commercial vehicle will collide with a smaller vehicle that can be as much as 30 times lighter than the semi-truck or big rig. The large truck also sits higher off the ground, leaving the passenger vehicles at risk of a serious underriding crash.
For more on underride truck crashes, read: Fatal Truck Crashes: Will Congress Pass the Stop Underrides Act?
Another type of fatal truck crash involving braking systems is the failure of the large truck to slow or stop before colliding with a motor vehicle in front of it. These rear-end collisions involving commercial trucks are often deadly for those in the car, SUV, or pickup that is hit by the big rig or semi-truck that has rear-ended them.
Is Automation The Answer to Deadly Large Truck Crashes?
As the number of big rigs and semi-trucks grows on our roads (especially here in the Crossroads of America), and the pressure on truckers to meet delivery deadlines rises, the concern is that there will even more fatal truck crashes.
We know that large truck fatalities are on the rise. The number of people who died in large truck crashes was 30% higher in 2017 than in 2009.
For many, the answer is to add “collision avoidance systems” to the rigs, where computer software connects with the braking system in AEB (automatic emergency braking) technology. See, “Lethal inaction: As fatal truck crashes surge, U.S. government won’t make an easy fix,” written by Mike Hendricks and published by the Kansas City Star on September 9, 2018.
However, these additions will cost money to install and maintain. It’s already clear from the May 2019 Surprise Inspections that many large trucks are being driven without their owners or operators spending the cash to replace hoses or do basic brake adjustments. Can we really expect them to spend the money to install and maintain AEB systems in their rigs?
Sadly, the reality is that in the trucking industry, all too often profits are placed over people. Fatal truck crashes remain a very real danger to those of us who ride alongside these huge commercial vehicles in Indiana and Illinois. Please be careful out there!
