Brake Safety Awareness Month

What's the most important part of a car? Without a gas pedal, you wouldn't be able to go anywhere, but the same is true for the wheels. If a car didn’t have doors, you might find it a little challenging to get into the driver’s seat, and without a driver’s seat, cross-country road trips would be uncomfortable to say the least. The steering wheel seems pretty important, and seatbelts are up there as well. If you put a bunch of people in a room and ask them to name the most important part of a car, you would get a variety of answers.

Brakes would definitely be in the running for most important part of a vehicle, and they're certainly the most important in terms of safety. Brakes allow you to take turns safely, park your car without driving into something, and, most importantly, avoid collisions and traffic accidents. Imagine driving a car with a gas pedal but no brakes. It’s a little bit terrifying. August is Brake Safety Awareness Month, and while August may be coming to an end, having working brakes has a year-round kind of importance.

Just having brakes on your vehicle is not enough to ensure your safety. You must check your brakes regularly to make sure that they are in perfect working condition.  Have your brakes inspected by a professional at least once a year. This not only helps keep you safe, but helps prevent damages to your vehicle as well. Driving with brake pads that have worn through to the metal is dangerous, and it can cause damages to your rotors that may require expensive repairs.

But there's more to stopping your car than just the brake pads. Your master cylinder needs to be in good working order, your brake line needs to be intact, and brake fluids must be clean and at the appropriate levels. Your brake calipers (the things that actually squeeze the brakes to the wheels) need to be functioning properly, and your rotors need to be in good condition.

Its a good idea to keep an eye on your brake system. Look for irregular wear on your rotors, and check your brake pads and brake fluid levels regularly. However, you should occasionally get your brakes checked by a professional. Even if it's not in Brake Safety Awareness Month, schedule an appointment to have your brake system examined.