Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a provider of active safety and braking system technologies, endorsed the goals of both National Tire Safety Week, set for June 3-9, and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Roadcheck program, which this year takes place June 5-7.
National Tire Safety Week, sponsored by the Rubber Manufacturers Association to raise consumer awareness about tire safety and fuel economy, focuses on the simple steps drivers and fleets can take to ensure their tires are in good working condition.
“Bendix has long recognized the vital role that tire care, inflation, and maintenance play in vehicle safety,” says Jon Intagliata, product manager for Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems at Bendix. “Rising fuel costs have driven home the importance of proper tire pressure with regard to fuel economy.”
Tire performance also is critical under Compliance, Safety, Accountability since drivers and fleets can face penalties if tires are found to be improperly inflated or maintained during inspection. For commercial fleets, the SmarTire Tire Pressure Monitoring System by Bendix CVS is designed to monitor the pressure and temperature of each tire continuously to provide real-time tire status information to the driver or maintenance technician.
Roadcheck, the largest targeted commercial vehicle roadside inspection program in the world, has aimed to make North America’s roadways safer since its inception in 1988. According to CVSA, each year during Roadcheck’s 72-hour inspection period, about 10,000 CVSA-certified inspectors at 1,500 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico perform roughly 14 truck and bus checks per minute. Since 1988, more than 1 million vehicles have been inspected, and CVSA estimates that more than 220 lives have been saved and 4,000 injuries prevented.
“Bendix shares CVSA’s commitment to safer vehicles and roadways, and Roadcheck is invaluable in reinforcing the importance of proper vehicle maintenance and inspection,” says Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs at Bendix. “Roadcheck also highlights the need to use original equipment replacement parts and trained technicians for vehicle service. With CSA – Compliance, Safety, Accountability – impacting fleets, owner-operators and drivers, keeping vehicles in top shape is even more important to profitability, driver retention and customer relations.”
