PSC Transportation Enforcement Officers Conduct Brake Safety Inspections

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia’s Transportation Officers will conduct safety inspections on commercial motor vehicles as part of Brake Safety Week, September 12 – 16. Brake Safety Week is designed to get unsafe vehicles off the road and to help operators of commercial motor vehicles understand the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation by focusing on improving knowledge, regulatory compliance and performance of commercial vehicle braking systems.
Inspections of commercial trucks and buses will include a check of brake system components to identify loose or missing parts; air or hydraulic fluid leaks; worn linings, pads, drums or rotors; and other faulty brake system components. Anti-lock brake system (ABS) malfunction indicator lamps will also be checked. Defective or out-of-adjustment brakes will result in the vehicle being placed out of service. During last year’s Brake Safety Week, PSC Transportation Officers conducted more than 340 inspections.
“Improving commercial vehicle safety is the goal of our Enforcement Officers. Brake Safety Week provides us with an excellent opportunity to interact with commercial motor vehicle operators who share the responsibility for keeping our highways safe. Our primary goal is to reduce injuries and fatalities on West Virginia’s highways,” said Bob Blankenship, Director of the Transportation Division of the Public Service Commission.
Brake Safety Week is an annual outreach and enforcement campaign designed to improve commercial motor vehicle brake safety throughout North America. It is part of the Operation Airbrake program sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.