Brake Repair Can Save Your Life

In today’s economy, people are looking to save money any way they can. One of the biggest expenses in the average American home is transportation. There are several ways that people try to save money on their transportation expenses. From searching for less expensive insurance, to looking for the cheapest gas, to neglecting important repairs, people are willing to do anything to save money. Saving money is a good thing, but not when it involves neglecting important things like brake repair. By neglecting important auto repairs, you risk the health of your car, your life and the life of your passengers as well as the lives of people you may be involved in an accident with.

Your brakes are one of the most important parts of your car. If you can move, but not stop, you have got big problems. Cars are meant to get us where we are going, but if you can’t stop when you get there what’s the point? Trying to save money by not repairing your brake pads may seem like a good idea, but it can end up having serious consequences on the health of your cars braking system. By not replacing your brake pads, you put unnecessary strain on your calipers. They are the part of your brakes that squeeze the pads together to stop the rotor. When your brake pads are worn down and need replacing, the caliper has to put extra unnecessary pressure on the rotor to get the car to stop, which shortens the life of the caliper. Also, by neglecting to change your brake pads, you reduce the life of your rotors. Over time, rotors get worn down and unsafe ridges form in them from the pressure of the brake pads. New brake pads put far less pressure on the rotors than old ones do. Although changing your brake pads may be a bit expensive for some, it's far less expensive than it would be to prematurely replace your calipers or rotors. So while you think you are saving money by not replacing your brake pads on time, you’re actually costing yourself more in the long run.

Another much more serious consequence of neglecting proper brake repair is the fact that you could potentially risk your life, the life of your passengers or the life of innocent bystanders who may be standing on the sidewalk or in their car when your vehicle plows through, incapable of stopping itself. It’s a shame that someone would have to die due to your negligence. If you get to a point where your brakes are squeaking and need replacing, and you neglect to replace them, the brakes may work in normal situations, but when you get into an emergency braking situation, and have to press hard on the brakes quickly, there is a good chance that they will not perform to their normal standards. If it’s a life and death situation, how would you like to die or live with the feeling that you killed innocent people because you didn’t want to pay $100 for brake repair? You probably wouldn’t feel that great if you had to live in a prison just because you didn't care about maintaining the integrity of your brakes.