2003 Press Releases
2003
More Work Still Needed to "Brake" the Trend
On September 5, forty-five jurisdictions conducted 14,665 roadside inspections focused on commercial vehicle braking systems. These inspections were completed during a 12-hour period as part of the "Operation Air Brake" campaign. The numbers were the largest total so far and show a strong, continued visible enforcement presence.
In the past 5 years, commercial vehicle safety enforcement jurisdictions in Canada and the United States have conducted enforcement and education activities focused on the braking systems of trucks and buses. These activities have been part of a campaign entitled Operation Air Brake, sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators. The goal is to decrease violations and incidents related to brakes by encouraging drivers and motor carriers to increase their knowledge of brake inspection and maintenance, compliance with safety regulations and vehicle braking performance.
While the September 2003 out of service rates were essentially unchanged from the September 2002 rates, there was a significant difference in 2003 between the "unannounced" campaign in May and the publicly "announced" event on September 5.
- May numbers: 13.2 % of vehicles inspected were North American Standard Out-of-Service for brake adjustment, 8.1 % North American Standard Out-of-Service for brake components, and 18.0 percent total out of service for brakes
- September numbers: 11.0 % of vehicles inspected were North American Standard Out-of-Service for brake adjustment, 7.5 % for brake components, and 16.5 percent total out of service for brakes
Manual slack adjusters comprised 26.2 percent of the 119,978 total brakes inspected: 8.7 percent of these were placed North American Standard Out-of-Service for adjustment problems. The remainder of the brakes were equipped with automatic slack adjusters, 3.7 percent of which were placed North American Standard Out-of-Service . Proper brake adjustment is critical to the safe operation the commercial vehicle.
Peter Hurst, CVSA President said "Operation Air Brake is a continuing reminder for all of us — industry and enforcement — to remain vigilant in our responsibilities for ensuring proper brake inspection and maintenance. Rear-end crashes continue to be pervasive occurrences when trucks and buses are involved in crashes. Two critical things drivers can do to help mitigate these situations are to 1) make sure they have the proper headway between the vehicle or object in front of them, and 2) make sure they have full braking capability."
For more information about Operation Air Brake, please contact Steve Keppler at CVSA Headquarters, 202-775-1623 or stevek@cvsa.org.
2003
CVSA Petitions FMCSA to Seek Certain Changes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
Following considerable research and deliberations within the Alliance, CVSA's Executive Committee voted at its Toronto meeting (April 17, 2003) to petition the FMCSA for amendments to current regulations in certain parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The petitions were submitted to FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg on September 10.
One petition calls for amending 391.11(b)(2) to more accurately reflect the NAFTA requirements for communications. Although not directly tied to NAFTA, a major officer and highway safety concern is the language proficiency of commercial drivers. The petition suggests five options for FMCSA's consideration and recommends these two:
Option 2: Work with CVSA to develop a standard test procedure for law enforcement to administer in determining whether the commercial driver meets a minimum standard for communication and provide assistance in developing educational materials for industry and enforcement.
Option 3: Revise regulation 391.11(b)(2) to reflect the NAFTA requirements for communications, using this NAFTA resolution approved in 1995 that states, in part, "That in recognition of the three countries language differences it is the responsibility of the driver and the motor carrier to be able to communicate in the country in which the driver/carrier is operating so that safety is not compromised." The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators enacted this exact statement into a policy resolution in January 2003.
The other petition calls for amending 49 CFR §§ 350.201(t)(l), 385.319(c), 385.325(b), 385.325(c), 385.329, 385.329(a), 385.331, 385.333(a), 385.337(b), 392.9a (b) and 392.9a(c) that apply to the terminology regarding "out of service."
For more than 20 years, the "out of service" declaration has been synonymous with an imminently hazardous condition on the road with the driver, vehicle and/or cargo. CVSA's position is that recent changes to the FMCSR, as promulgated by FMCSA through several rulemakings, cause confusion for both enforcement and industry. Most recently, the interim final rule for the enforcement of operating authority has contributed to this confusion. CVSA believes the intent of using the term "out of service" in this context is not for a commercial motor vehicle or a motor carrier operations to be placed out of service under the definition prescribed by the North American Standard Out of Service Criteria; rather it is for them to "cease operations."
To read these petitions in their entirety, contact CVSA headquarters or visit www.cvsa.org next week when they will be posted to the web site.
2003
Colorado Inspector Wins North American Inspectors Championship
Jeff Byers of the Colorado Port of Entry took top honors at the North American Inspectors Championship as the winner of the Grand Champion Award for his combined performances in the multiple elements of the competition.
Forty-eight CVSA-certified roadside inspectors competed in the 11th annual Championship (held in Columbus, Ohio, August 18 — 23). Seven of the inspectors represented Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec). Two inspectors represented Mexico and the United States was represented by 39 inspectors. As part of the activities, the inspectors spent two full days in training classes that included the new U.S. rules on Hours of Service, Cargo Securement and Techniques for Interviewing Drivers.
The following is a complete list of the winners announced by Captain Ron Cordova, New Mexico Department of Safety:
Level I Inspector Award (sponsored by Yellow Transportation) Jeff Byers (1st place), Colorado Port of Entry; Lorie Floyd, Wisconsin State Patrol (2nd place); and Eric Vautour, Ontario Ministry of Transportation (3rd place).
HazMat and Cargo Tank Inspection Award (sponsored by the National Tank Truck Carriers): Eric Sundby, Minnesota State Patrol (1st place); Ivy Woods, Louisiana State Police (2nd place); and Darren White, Washington State Patrol (3rd place)
Motorcoach Inspection Award (sponsored by the American Bus Association): Eric Sundby, Minnesota State Patrol (1st place); Brian Bonness, North Dakota Highway Patrol; and Gary Peace, Ohio State Highway Patrol (3rd place).
High points winners: Jacabo Garcia-Arias, Mexico; Maurice Steen, Canada; and Jeff Byers, United States.
Jay Thompson (Arkansas Highway Police) received the prestigious John Youngblood Award that is presented each year to the inspector who best demonstrates these qualities: congeniality, leadership, integrity, professionalism, and commitment.
The award presenters were Administrator Annette M. Sandberg, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Peter Hurst, President of CVSA; Colonel Paul McClellan, Ohio State Highway Patrol; and Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA Executive Director.
The ceremony began with an address by Administrator Sandberg. Following her address, Mr. Campbell presented recognition awards to the American Trucking Associations for their continuing support of these annual events and to the Ohio State Highway Patrol for hosting this year Championship.
The North American Inspectors Championship is organized by the FMCSA and the CVSA. The Championship's theme is performance, education and uniformity. The NAIC is the only event dedicated to recognizing and rewarding commercial vehicle inspector excellence.
2003
International Organizations Place Emphasis on Truck and Bus Brake Safety
On September 4, truck and bus safety enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada will conduct 12 hours of roadside inspections targeted on brake safety.
This special event is part of Operation Air Brake, a safety campaign that originated in Canada in 1998. It is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and includes participation from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Transport Canada.
Brake-related defects continue to be the most significant and frequent violations that commercial vehicle safety inspectors discover during a roadside inspection. For that reason, the Operation Air Brake campaign places a major emphasis on education and awareness of the need to improve brake safety and promotes:
- Increasing drivers' and motor carriers' knowledge of brake compliance and vehicle brake performance
- Making sure all applicable brake inspection requirements are followed
- Encouraging commercial vehicle brake system inspections throughout North America
Drivers, whose vehicles are inspected during Operation Air Brake, will receive literature that provides information about proper brake inspection and maintenance.
Operation Air Brake includes two primary international events each year. The first, having an enforcement emphasis, takes place on an unannounced date in May. The second, having an educational focus, is announced and takes place the first week in September. During the May 2003 unannounced date, 12,027 commercial vehicles were inspected, resulting in 98,235 brakes checked — 18 percent of which were placed out of service for brake-related defects. This compares with the last announced date in September 2002 when 13,340 commercial vehicles were inspected, resulting in 110,990 brakes checked and a 16.4 percent out-of- service rate.
More information about the Operation Air Brake Campaign is available by contacting Steve Keppler (stevek@cvsa.org), 202-775-1623 or (fax) 202-775-1624.
2003
Number of Fatalities from Large Truck Crashes Continues to Decline
The number of fatalities resulting from crashes involving large trucks dropped 4.2 percent since last year according to statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In 2001, there were 5,111 fatalities in crashes involving large trucks. In 2002, there were 4,897 fatalities. In contrast, the 2002 total number of highway fatalities increased to 42,815 - the highest level since 1990.
Fatalities from large truck-related crashes have declined each year since 1997, dropping a total of 9.3 percent. Unfortunately, the number of fatalities in all motor vehicle crashes has steadily increased since 1997. Efforts by law enforcement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and industry are getting results. It is not coincidental that over this same time period there have been an increased number of commercial vehicle roadside inspections and traffic enforcement activities by state and local law enforcement.
Although any death is unacceptable, the decline over the last several years keeps us on track to achieve the FMCSA goal shared by all - a 2008 fatality rate of 1.65 fatalities per 100 million miles of truck travel.
Executive Director Stephen F. Campbell said; "Working together achieves results - these numbers indicate that a commitment to safety and a common goal are the linchpins for success. We applaud FMCSA, law enforcement and the industry for their collective efforts."
2003
Roadcheck 2003 Hits Record Numbers
For the fourth consecutive year, the annual 72-hour Roadcheck resulted in an increase in roadside commercial vehicle inspector productivity. This means more lives were saved on North American Highways.
The 16th annual event - held June 3-5, 2003 - resulted in 55,784 North American Standard Inspections performed on commercial vehicles by 9,471 state and provincial personnel at 1,097 locations throughout Canada and the United States. There were 49,379 inspections conducted last year. The 2003 number is 43.5 percent more than the 38,864 completed in 1999.
An even more impressive fact is that there were 43,583 Level I inspections, the most comprehensive vehicle/driver inspection. This is the highest number of Level I inspections in sixteen years - up from 39,495 in 2002, a 10.4 percent increase. The inspectors placed 24,171 CVSA decals on vehicles found to be free of critical safety defects (43.3 percent of the total).
Approximately 600,000 pieces of educational safety information and guidance were distributed to commercial drivers during Roadcheck 2003. Drivers received outreach material on complying with the new Hours of Service and Cargo Securement regulations in the United States, as well as information on proper tire maintenance and Hazardous Materials Safety & Security.
Roadcheck 2003 resulted in 22.7 percent of vehicles inspected being placed out of service for mechanical problems, up from 22.0 percent in 2002. For drivers, the 2003 inspections resulted in a 5.0 percent driver North American Standard Out-of-Service rate, down from 5.7 percent last year. For hazardous materials inspections this year, the North American Standard Out-of-Service rates for vehicles increased over 2002 numbers (17.0 to 20.2 percent) and stayed the same for drivers (2.4 percent), while for motorcoach inspections, the North American Standard Out-of-Service rates for vehicles and drivers both decreased from 2002 to 2003 (11.7 to 9.5 and 8.7 to 1.7 percent, respectively). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also participated by completing 4,816 commercial vehicle inspections by 378 Federal personnel at 140 U.S. locations. This bumps the total number of inspections up to 60,600 - the most ever in the 16-year history of the event.
Stephen F. Campbell, CVSA Executive Director, said "Roadcheck is an important juncture during the year for us to assess our contributions to safer roadways for all of North America. We want to showcase the outstanding efforts of all North American Inspectors - who are out there every day - and highlight the progress of their impacts on highway safety."
"North American commercial vehicle inspectors did an outstanding job during this year's Roadcheck," said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Acting Administrator Annette M. Sandberg. "Commercial motor vehicle and driver inspections are necessary to achieve FMCSA's goal of reducing the commercial vehicle fatality rate by 41 percent by 2008."
Annual Roadchecks are sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. In addition to CVSA and FMCSA, other participating organizations include the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico), and for 2002, the Research and Special Programs Administration and the Tire Retread Information Bureau. CVSA is the leading commercial vehicle safety enforcement organization in North America. Its members include enforcement agencies and industry representatives in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
2003
CVSA President Addresses Transportation Reporters at National Press Club
CVSA President Peter Hurst was the guest speaker at the National Press Club's Transportation Table luncheon in Washington, D.C. on June 27.
He began his remarks to the top-notch transportation reporters who filled the room by stating that, for the fourth consecutive year, the annual 72-hour Roadcheck 2003 showed an increase in roadside inspectors' productivity, including a 10.4 increase in Level One inspections over those conducted in Roadcheck 2002. He also reported the continuing decline in North American Standard Out-of-Service rates and the fatality rate for crashes involving commercial vehicles.
In his remarks about safety accomplishments, Hurst said, "The single greatest contributing factor to these safety improvements has been the effort of the more than 10,000 CVSA-certified front-line inspectors throughout North America."
While many of his comments related to commercial vehicle safety and CVSA's goal to reduce crashes and injuries, Hurst said. "We are facing changes and new challenges". He mentioned the increased emphasis on security, new legislation and tighter budgets that strain state and provincial commercial vehicle enforcement programs. "Our members look to CVSA more than ever for support and training as they attempt to meet the demands on dwindling resources," he said. "It is definitely a challenge for both countries to facilitate the efficient movement of goods and people across the border while, at the same time, ensuring safety and security."
In closing, Hurst said, "We are facing changes we had not expected. But we're dealing with them. As we face these and other challenges, our tradition will provide firm footing as we stretch, explore and probe to the edges of the envelope to find new ways to advance our cause—an environment free of commercial vehicle accidents and incidents."
2003
Mexican Truck Inspectors Complete Safety Training
Twenty eight Mexican inspectors are completing an intensive three-week training program that prepares them to conduct commercial driver and vehicle inspections according to existing North American safety standards.
Completion of the program, funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, authorizes these specially trained inspectors to apply CVSA decals to commercial vehicles that pass critical safety inspection standards. They'll also be authorized to place commercial vehicles and drivers out of service when these standards are not met.
Hosted by the California Highway Patrol, the three-week program is taking place at border inspection facilities in Calexico and Otay Mesa and is being conducted by federal and state instructors and CVSA-certified inspectors from California, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. In addition to the outstanding commitment of resources from Mexico and the States, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and TML Information Services all have played important roles in this program.
Speaking to the students at an informal ceremony, CVSA President Paul Sullivan said, "The roadside inspection program saves lives. NAFTA has placed the spotlight on us and we are expected to perform. We accept this challenge because we are prepared and our members believe in each other."
This training program is one in a series of activities that have been taking place to further the goals of the North American Free Trade Agreement. This program also emphasizes the uniform and reciprocal standards that are the underpinning of CVSA and of the North American Standard Inspection Procedures and North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.
CVSA is the leading commercial vehicle safety enforcement organization in North America. Its members include enforcement agencies and industry representatives in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
