CVSA Brake Safety Week 2026
Brake problems are one of those issues that can be easy to overlook during the day-to-day operation of a commercial vehicle. A truck can start its day, travel hundreds of kilometres and appear to be operating normally, all the while developing a brake related issue that may not be found until it’s a much bigger issue.
This is one of the reasons the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) continues to place a strong emphasis on brake safety through its Operation Airbrake program.
For 2026, CVSA's Brake Safety Week is scheduled for August 23–29. During the week, certified commercial vehicle inspectors throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States will conduct routine commercial vehicle inspections with an increased focus on brake systems and components. This year's specific focus will be on brake drums and rotors.
What is Operation Airbrake?
CVSA developed Operation Airbrake in Canada in 1998 in response to the safety concerns associated with commercial vehicle brake defects. The program was based on a traffic-safety enforcement model that had been successfully used for other safety issues, adapted to address commercial vehicle brake violations.
The program combines roadside enforcement with education and awareness activities directed at drivers, mechanics, motor carriers, owner-operators and others involved in the commercial vehicle industry. The goal being to reduce crashes caused by faulty or poorly maintained braking systems by identifying problems before they contribute to a collision.
One of the major enforcement and education activities conducted through Operation Airbrake is Brake Safety Week. During the campaign, inspectors conduct commercial motor vehicle inspections with a specific focus on brake systems and components. Vehicles found with brake-related out-of-service violations, or other out-of-service violations, can be restricted from further travel until the defects have been corrected.
It is important to note that this campaign is not intended simply to identify violations. CVSA also uses Brake Safety Week as an opportunity to educate drivers, motor carriers and mechanics about proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation. Inspection and violation data collected during the campaign is submitted to CVSA and used to measure brake-safety issues throughout North America.
Brake Safety Week 2026 Focus
For Brake Safety Week 2026, CVSA is placing particular focus on brake drums and rotors. Inspectors will focus special attention to their condition, seeking defects such as cracked/broken drums or rotors, heavily rusted rotors, and metal-to-metal contact.
1. Cracked or Broken Drums/Rotors
With the heating and cooling cycles that brake components go through, the expansion and contraction can contribute to cracking within the drum/rotor structure. Left unchecked, these cracks can open up to a serious braking issue, increasing the likelihood of total component failure.
2. Excessive Rust
While some surface corrosion can be expected, particularly on vehicles that have been sitting for extended periods, heavily rusted friction surfaces can be an indicator that a brake is not functioning as intended.
3. Metal-to-Metal Contact
Metal-to-metal contact between brake components is a condition that should immediately raise concern. This typically occurs when brake friction material has worn away and metal components are contacting one another. In a disc brake system, this most often occurs on the side of the pad in contact with the brake piston. At this point, the problem has gone beyond normal brake wear and requires attention.
4. Don't Forget the Rest of the Brake System
The focus on drums and rotors should not result in other brake components being overlooked. A complete brake inspection still includes the other components of the braking system, including brake adjustment, brake chambers, hoses and tubing, air systems, parking and emergency brakes, and other required components.
How Does This Relate to a Normal Commercial Vehicle Inspection?
Brake Safety Week should not require a carrier to create a special maintenance program for one week of the year, instead, it provides a great opportunity to review whether the carrier's existing inspection and maintenance practices are working as intended. Would these brake issues be caught in a carrier’s maintenance program?
A thorough daily inspection by drivers, in conjunction with an effective Maintenance program including scheduled maintenance inspections, identifying such defects before a vehicle is operated on the highway with conditions that could result in an out-of-service violation.
Beyond Brake Safety Week
CVSA identifies brake-related violations as the largest percentage of out-of-service violations found during roadside inspections. This puts a highlighter on brake maintenance as an important part of both regulatory compliance and overall highway safety. Operation Airbrake has been operating for more than 25 years because properly functioning brakes remain one of the most important components of commercial vehicle safety.
For drivers, this means taking brake defects seriously and reporting problems as soon as they are identified. For carriers, it means maintaining an effective inspection and maintenance program that identifies and corrects defects before they become roadside violations. Ultimately, these efforts help ensure fewer commercial vehicles are operating with brake systems that may not perform when they are needed most. A roadside inspection may be inconvenient, but finding a brake defect in the shop is always preferable to finding it at the scale.
For more information on CVSA, Operation Airbrake, Brake Safety Week, or this year’s focus items, please visit the CVSA website.
https://cvsa.org/programs/operation-airbrake/