CVSA Cites Improvement in ‘Roadcheck’ Numbers

he Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance posted the results of its 72-hour “Roadcheck 2005” truck and bus inspection effort Friday, and the group said safety officials performed a record number of inspections.

About 9,900 inspectors participated in the three-day event held June 7-9 at 1,348 locations throughout North America, CVSA said.

Both vehicle and driver out-of-service rates fell for the first time in three years, to 22.6% from 23.9% in 2004 for vehicles, and to 5% from 4.5% for drivers, CVSA said, describing the decreases as “significant.”

In the United States, the vehicle out-of-service rate fell to 23.3% from 25% in 2004. For drivers it fell to 4.7% from 5.3%.

In Canada, vehicle out of service rates went from 20.5 percent in 2004 to 17.4 percent in 2005, and for drivers went from 3.1 to 3.0 percent.

The group did not release figures from Mexican inspections.

Brake inspections led the out-of-service numbers, with 30.1% for brake adjustments (from 29.6% last year) and 25.2% for brake systems (27% last year).

Following that were lights, at 11.8% (11.1% in 2004), tires and wheels at 8.9% (from 9.5%) and safe loading at 8.5% (9.3%).

CVSA said that in 5,241 hazardous materials inspections, 19.6% of vehicles (up from 19.1% in 2004) and 2.4% of drivers (from 2.3% in 2004) were placed out of service.

There were 1,143 citations issued for safety belt violations, up from 755 last year.

n the U.S., 3.8% of the inspections conducted during Roadcheck 2005 resulted in an out-of-service condition for hours of service violations, up from 3.44 percent in 2004, versus 1.3% in Canada, down from 2.5 percent in 2004.

CVSA represents road safety officials in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.