August Is National Brake Safety Awareness Month

This entry was posted on Aug 1, 2018 by Tire Discounters.

The Car Care Council has designated August as National Brake Safety Awareness Month and Tire Discounters would like to remind you of the importance of having your brakes inspected. While oil changes and tire rotation are common maintenance routines, having your brakes inspected is often overlooked.

Brakes are a normal wear item for any car and eventually they’re going to need to be replaced. There are several factors that affect brake wear, including your driving habits, operating conditions, vehicle type, and the quality of the brake lining material. Always put your safety first – never ignore routine brake inspections or repair. Allowing your brakes get down to the “metal-on-metal” contact, is potentially dangerous and will lead to a higher repair bill.

Warning Signs Your Brakes Need to be Inspected

The Car Care Council reminds motorists to look for the following warning signs that their brakes need to be inspected:

• Noise: screeching, grinding or clicking noises when applying the brakes.

• Pulling: vehicle pulls to one side while braking.

• Low Pedal: brake pedal nearly touches the floor before engaging.

• Hard Pedal: must apply extreme pressure to the pedal before brakes engage.

• Grabbing: brakes grab at the slightest touch to the pedal.

• Vibration: brake pedal vibrates or pulses, even under normal braking conditions.

• Light: brake light is illuminated on your vehicle’s dashboard.

There is no defined schedule that tells you when it’s time to replace your brake pads. Deterioration depends on several conditions such as the extent of driving, variations in climate, quality of brake pads and frequency of stopping.

Most vehicles should have their tires rotated every 6 months or at least every 12 months, and that is a good time to have the brakes inspected as well. A Tire Discounters certified ASE mechanic can provide you with a multi-point inspection and measure all brake pads/shoes, rotors/brake drums and inspect the brake hydraulic system. 

Stop in any Tire Discounters for a FREE multi-point inspection of your brakes.

Additional information on brakes can be found here.