Around 22% of all car accidents are caused by brake failure.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey highlighted this fact. While self-driving cars like Tesla incorporate auto-brake functions for maximum road safety, not every person has these cars. For you, brake failure can be life-threatening, especially on a busy highway.
It’s important for car safety and security to ensure that your brakes are functional and in good condition. Luckily, brake failure rarely happens without any warning. By paying attention to the warning signs, you can detect and correct brake failure for your car safety.
The following are some sure-fire ways you can detect brake failure:
- Grinding or Squeaking Noises
If you’re hearing a high-pitched squeaking sound or a metallic squeal, it’s a sign of brake failure. This happens when the brakes pads have been worn down. This means that in an emergency, they’re more likely to malfunction.
The squealing sound comes when the metal of the brakes is interacting with the brake rotor. You’ll end up damaging the rotor by creating deep grooves in it. Get the brake pads replaced or checked to see what the issue is.
- Leaking Brake Fluid
Brakes need fluid to function properly. The entire braking system hinges of the use of fluid to generate power and force to bring your vehicle to a stand-still. If you see a pool of brownish liquid, especially near the wheel of the car, you should avoid driving the car.
It is a sign that the fluid is leaking from the master cylinder for your brakes. This means that your car will not generate enough power to brake properly or completely. It’s extremely dangerous to drive that car around.
- Soft Brake Pedals
Pay attention to how your brake pedal feels. Usually, the brake pedal has a certain amount of resistance so you need to exert some pressure to press it. However, if the pedal feels soft or spongy, it is a sign of brake failure. In this case, the pedal presses down to the floor effortlessly and without any resistance.
It’s a sign that you have air trapped in the brake lines or the brake lines have malfunctioned. Low brake fluid can also make the pedals go soft. Soft pedals can also be visible. A healthy car pedal in an automatic car stops 1 ½ inch above the floor. In manual cars, it stops 3 inches above it. If your pedal touches the floor, get the brakes checked.
- Unbalanced Stops
This sign can be subtle and hard to detect but pay attention to how your car stops when you brake. Generally, a car should stop in alignment as the brakes apply pressure equally on both sides of the car. However, if your car is pulling or leaning more to one side, it means that the brake calipers could be damaged.
Damaged brake calipers could be applying pressure unevenly on the tires, causing the car to experienced unbalanced stops.
Conclusion
Always pay attention to the health of your car brakes to ensure car safety. When you notice any warning signs, get your brakes repaired as quickly as possible.
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