Avoid These Driving Habits That May Ruin Your Brakes

A well-maintained brake system is critical for your vehicle’s safety on the road. Worn or failing brake components may become less responsive, making it harder to slow down or come to a full stop when needed.

Aside from staying on top of your vehicle’s routine maintenance, it’s important to let go of poor driving habits that may cause brake components to wear down earlier than designed.

Here are some of the most common driving habits that can potentially ruin your vehicle’s brakes.

Avoid Braking Downhill

Braking when going downhill puts extra strain on the brakes, making them overheat and wear down faster than they normally would. When the brake pads overheat and deteriorate, they may become more unresponsive. As a result, you might have to slam the brakes harder to slow down your vehicle.

This is a problem because you need responsive brakes to maintain control of your vehicle when driving downhill. Instead of using the brakes to slow your vehicle down, it’s strongly recommended to use engine braking instead. This means downshifting gears and letting your vehicle slow down brake-free.

It’s important to avoid coasting downhill because letting your vehicle descend without control of it can be disastrous. Coasting might seem efficient and much easier on your brakes but you’re more likely to get into an accident this way.

Don’t Slam On the Brakes

Generally speaking, slamming your brakes is bad for your car. It’s something that should only be done in dire emergencies.

Forcing your vehicle to come to a sudden halt inflicts severe damage to your tires and brake system. It also makes it significantly more likely for another vehicle to rear-end you because they likely won’t have enough time to react and slow their car down.

Slamming on the brakes may also damage critical brake components if you’re careless. The hose can crack, bend, and leak brake fluid, compromising your brakes.

Lastly, remember to keep your distance from other vehicles when driving to avoid situations where you might have to slam the brakes.

Avoid Driving With Heavy Cargo

The more load you carry inside your vehicle, the more strain it puts on your vehicle — especially your brakes. Though it isn’t harmful for your vehicle to drive with heavy cargo every once in a while, doing so regularly can be disastrous for your brakes.

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The extra weight makes your brake pads wear down faster than they normally do, making them less efficient when it comes to slowing and stopping your vehicle. This also applies to towing trailers because all that extra weight combined with having to account for another set of wheels wears out the brake system quickly.

Fortunately, there are some upgrades you can install on your vehicle. For example, you can install heavy-duty brake pads explicitly designed to support additional weight.

Refrain from Riding the Brakes

Riding the brakes is another term for resting your foot on the brake pedal. Many drivers do this out of habit after driving vehicles with manual transmissions for so long. While it might seem harmless, placing even the slightest amount of pressure on the brake pedal is enough to activate the brakes, making them wear out and overheat even when they’re not technically in use.

It’s also worth mentioning that riding the brakes is dangerous because drivers behind you will have a much harder time anticipating your next move. Stepping on the brake pedal doesn’t just activate the brakes but also activates the brake lights. Anyone behind you might try to overtake you or suddenly slow down, resulting in a vehicle crash.

Don’t Neglect Your Brake Fluid

If you want to make your brakes work well and last as long as possible, it’s important to ensure that your vehicle’s brake fluid never runs low. Check the brake fluid reservoir from time to time to see if you’re due for a brake flush.

Brake fluid may get contaminated by moisture over time, lowering its boiling point and corroding the brake lines. If the dirty brake fluid isn’t changed, the brake system can fail because of rust buildup and low fluid levels.

It’s strongly recommended to change your brake fluid at least once a year to prevent complications with your brake system. Neglecting to replace the fluid will put more strain on your brakes, making them less effective and wearing them down at a much quicker rate than usual.

Minimize Stop-and-Go Driving

Though this might not always be possible, try to avoid stop-and-go driving whenever you can. This refers to the act of stopping your vehicle for short intervals while covering short distances. It’s always better to drive at a steady pace because it’s easier for your brakes and your engine, preventing these components from wearing too quickly.

Stop-and-go driving affects your vehicle in many ways. Not only does it wear out the brake shoes and brake pads faster than normal, but it can also damage the clutch and overwork the car battery. Your vehicle’s fuel economy may also decline and idling for too long can cause fuel residue to build up in the cylinders.