2025 Brake Safety Week: drums and rotors

Inspections will be conducted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico during the Brake Safety Week.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has announced the official dates for the upcoming Brake Safety Week, which this year will focus on drums and rotors. The international roadside inspection will take place from August 24 to 30, providing fleets with ample time to prepare accordingly.

During this week, inspections will be conducted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Law enforcement personnel will carry out routine commercial motor vehicle inspections, placing special emphasis on brake systems and components. In addition to promoting road safety, this initiative also aims to raise awareness among drivers and operators about the importance of maintaining vehicles in proper working order and in compliance with current regulations, supported by educational resources provided by CVSA.

Brake Safety Week 2025

During Brake Safety Week, inspectors will examine commercial vehicles, focusing on brake systems and documenting any violations related to those components. All data collected will be submitted to CVSA for analysis. In certain jurisdictions, Performance-Based Brake Testers (PBBTs) will be used to evaluate braking efficiency under real-world conditions. The results from these tests will also be shared with the Alliance.

This initiative is designed to enhance the safety of brake systems in commercial vehicles throughout North America. According to CVSA, the goal is to prevent road crashes by conducting roadside inspections and offering educational outreach to drivers, mechanics, owner-operators, and fleets—both large and small—emphasizing the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance, and operation.

Vehicles found with critical brake-related out-of-service violations—or any other serious out-of-service issues—will be removed from roadways until the necessary repairs are made. CVSA will compile and analyze all data collected during the week and will release a public report with the results later this year.

Brake Safety Week results from previous years

Under CVSA guidelines, a vehicle is placed out of service (OOS) when critical violations are identified during an inspection. Over the past three years, the number of vehicles placed OOS has been gradually declining, and the goal is to continue this trend in 2025. Here are the results from the past three Brake Safety Weeks:

2024 – 16,725 CMVs were inspected, and 2,149 were placed OOS, for an out-of-service rate of 12.8%
2023 – 18,875 CMVs were inspected, and 2,375 were placed OOS, for an out-of-service rate of 12.6%
2022 – 38,117 CMVs were inspected, and 5,059 were placed OOS, for an out-of-service rate of 13.3%

Brake Safety Week aims to improve the condition and functionality of brake systems in commercial vehicles across North America. According to CVSA, the ultimate objective is to reduce roadway crashes through targeted inspections and educational efforts directed at drivers, mechanics, owner-operators, transportation companies, and other stakeholders in the industry. Road safety is a shared responsibility.