Commercial trucks in North Carolina and elsewhere are required to meet certain safety standards to prevent accidents. However, a recent inspection blitz by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance found that around 14 percent of trucks are riding around with serious braking issues.
In September, CVSA conducted Brake Safety Week across the U.S. and Canada. During this initiative, inspectors checked 35,080 commercial trucks for brake violations. Of those trucks, 4,955, or just over 14 percent, were placed out of service for brake safety violations.
Inspectors were particularly focused on making sure that trucks required to have anti-lock braking systems, or ABS, had them. They also checked to see if the systems were being properly maintained. In all, inspectors checked out 26,143 air-braked trucks required to have ABS and found that 2,176 had ABS violations. Nearly 17,860 trailers required to have ABS were also inspected, with 2,224 getting flagged for ABS violations. Inspectors also examined 5,254 hydraulic-braked trucks required to have ABS and found 234 with ABS-related violations. In 2017, CVSA inspectors held a one-day brake safety initiative aimed at commercial trucks. That event also resulted in 14 percent of inspected trucks getting placed out of service for serious brake violations.
Faulty brakes and other safety violations can cause catastrophic truck accidents. If crash scene investigators determine that a poorly-maintained truck caused a crash, injured victims may have the right to take legal action. For example, an attorney might use the crash scene investigation report as evidence in a personal injury lawsuit filed against the responsible truck driver and trucking company. Typical damages sought in this type of lawsuit include current and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and property loss. Victims may be able to learn more about the lawsuit process by contacting an attorney about their case.