In The News
International Roadcheck 2023 is This Week!
Sound the alarm, this week is the International Roadcheck, and it’s best to be ready and prepared for what you can expect!
Each year, the CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) holds numerous inspection and enforcement events throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico intended to improve highway safety by cracking down on vehicle and driver violations.
This week is the International Roadcheck. It runs from May 16th through the 18th. Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program aimed at commercial motor vehicles in the world. Nearly 15 trucks or buses will be inspected, on average, every minute across North America during this 72-hour period.
Since it began in 1988, roadside inspections conducted during International Roadcheck have numbered more than 1.4 million. Roadcheck also provides an opportunity to educate the transportation industry, as well as the general public, about the importance of safe commercial vehicle operations and the roadside inspection program.
Roadcheck Focus
This year, inspectors during International Roadcheck will focus on two areas of the commercial vehicles they’ll be examining. Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and cargo securement.
CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct their commercial vehicle examinations at weigh/inspection stations and designated inspection areas alongside roadways. The focus on ABS and cargo securement will highlight their importance to vehicle safety.
Vehicles that are found with ABS violations will not be eligible to be placed out of service. However, a release by CVSA states that “ABS plays a critical role in reducing the risk of collisions by preventing the wheels from locking up or skidding, allowing a driver to maintain control of the vehicle while braking.” Thus, heightening the importance of proper maintenance.
In addition, and according to CVSA, improper cargo securement poses a serious risk to drivers and other motorists by impacting the vehicle’s maneuverability, or worse, causing unsecured loads to come loose, resulting in traffic hazards and vehicle collisions.
During last year’s Roadcheck, inspectors placed more than 12,000 vehicles and nearly 4,000 drivers out of service during the inspection event. CVSA-certified personnel conducted about 59,000 inspections during the 2022 three-day blitz.
Yes, Inspections = Violations
The most common violations on vehicles inspected during Roadcheck 2022 were for brake systems, tires, defective service brakes, lights, and cargo securement. False logs put more than 1,900 drivers out of service, while another 1,000 were cited for driving with the wrong class license. Hours-of-service violations, suspended licenses, and no medical cards rounded out the top five reasons that drivers were cited during the event last May.
Vehicle out-of-service rates were around 23%, while the event yielded a 6.4% driver out-of-service rate.
The yearly Roadcheck provides opportunities for the public, and especially the trucking industry, to be educated about the importance of safe freight-hauling operations and the North American Standard Inspection Program.
As a commercial driving professional, it’s extremely important to not only stay informed of blitzes and road-side checks such as these, but in an effort to avoid any type of violations it’s also best to stay in compliance and remain prepared.