The Austin Police Department’s (APD) Highway Enforcement Unit will participate in the upcoming Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Brake Safety Week. The initiative will run nationwide from Sunday, August 23 through Saturday, August 29, 2020.
 
APD commercial vehicle enforcement personnel will be out on major highways throughout the week to conduct inspections. Commercial vehicles found to have critical brake or other safety violations will either be repaired on site or towed to a repair facility. Those commercial vehicles that pass inspection will receive a CVSA decal.
 
A roadside inspection has always included an evaluation of the brake system. Inspectors will be especially focused on brake hoses/tubing during this year’s initiative in an effort to raise awareness about the important role these play in the vehicle’s overall mechanical fitness and safety. Brake hoses/tubing must be property attached, undamaged, secure (no leaks) and appropriately flexible. Failure to maintain these components has the potential to impair the entire braking system.
 
Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program, conducted in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.