Typical brake faults outlined
The brakes are a mechanical object and so it is possible that they will develop problems and not function the way that they should be. This is clearly very dangerous because brakes are one of the most important safety elements of a car enabling you to drive safely, both for your own safety and that of fellow road users.
One of the most common types of brake fault results in your car pulling you slightly to one side when you brake which you experience as an unequal force on the car when braking. This usually occurs when the brakes are not correctly adjusted therefore leading to more or less braking on one side and the resultant pull.
Another common problem is when on pressing the brake pedal it doesn't feel quite right or as it normally does. If it feels spongy then this is often caused by there being air trapped in the system, and you should not drive the car in those conditions but get it checked by an expert immediately.
Sometimes you won't have the above problems but the brakes don't seem quite as effective as they were. The wear and tear on brake pads may mean that they need to be replaced, or the brakes may require some adjusting. They can also get overheated, and as with any brake problems you should get urgent assistance.
One of the lights in the car that you might not think much about is a brake warning light, but when it does come on then you need to pay attention because it probably indicates either a system fault or a problem with the pads or the brake fluid being low so again get this checked out.
Finally the hand brake itself can stop holding your car as it should on an inclined plane and can either need an adjustment made or perhaps have the cable replaced. So these are common brake faults that you might encounter as a driver.
Related Articles...
Why is there a Hazard Perception Test
The statistics have long shown that the newer the driver, the more likely they are to be involved in accidents on the roads. This is probably because they are inexperienced as drivers, although...
Being aware of potential hazards
Having the maximum time possible to react to hazards is important and can be the difference between an awkward situation or even an accident and continuing safe driving.
This requires you not...
Driving Test and Independent Driving
Independent driving - where the candidate is not following the directions given at each stage by the instructor but rather following a route, e.g. following road signs to Town X until the instructor...
The Advanced Driving Test
There are advantages to continuing to study driving by means of a course like the advanced driving test, because it will help to give you the chance to develop your skills even further than you had...
What details to get at an accident
When you swap details with a driver, here are the things that you should be sure to obtain from the other driver:
You need to of course get their name, their address and a contact telephone...
Overtaking cyclists safely
You need to constantly be on the lookout for cyclists because they are a lot less visible than cars and motor vehicles.
Whilst cyclists should have lights in poor light conditions or in the...
Using the foot controls in an automatic
When driving an automatic car, there is one less pedal to think about: there is no clutch pedal so the ABC of accelerator, brake, clutch becomes instead simply accelerator and brake.
That's...
Some common engine faults
It is beyond the scope of the articles here to go into detail about how the engine works and what the various parts of it are. For the theory test you won't need to know a great detail about the...
Skidding: what to do if you skid
No-one wants to skid, because skidding is a hazard that can lead to potential damage for you and other road users; in other words it is a dangerous situation to be in.
However sometimes it...
Prepare for driving theory tests
In order to pass tests, whether they are academic tests at school such as english, geography, spanish, french and so on, or to pass some other one - like theory tests - the methodology that can be...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
