Brake pads are one of the most crucial components inside your vehicle. They help you stop your car in time. In other words, without a reliable braking system, you are at risk of an impending collision. If your brake pad is not road-worthy, getting it replaced may be the best thing you can do.

Needless to day, there are many different ways you can stall for time before burning more money on a brand new set of brake pads. These tips also help you save petrol, which lowers your car ownership cost.

Biggest Killer: Speed

Speed kills…your brake pads. The faster you go, the more your brake pads wear off. This is obvious. Your brakes have to work harder to bring a faster vehicle to a stop. What’s not so obvious is if you drive a little faster (say from 100 to 110 kmph), your brake pads have to work more than 10% harder. This phenomenon can be attributed to the physics governing kinetic energy within a squared relationship to speed.

By driving within the speed limit, you are not only keeping yourself safe, you are saving a lot of money in petrol costs and car maintenance.

Brake Only With Your Right Foot

While this will not be an issue for many Singaporeans, there are some folks who are addicted to race driving. By braking only with your right foot, you can easily make sure you are not stepping on the accelerator and the brakes at the same time.

Build Familiarity

If you are familiar with the area you are driving in, you will save yourself a whole lot of braking (which saves your brake pads from premature wear and tear). On top of this, your drive will be much smoother and safer. If you drive into a new area, go slow to find your way around and make an effort to study the way before starting your journey.

Look Ahead

Simply by knowing what’s ahead of you, you will be able to anticipate any obstacles and traffic lights in the next 10 seconds. This is invaluable. You will be able to avoid hard braking and even possible accidents each time you are behind the wheel.

Driving also involves a great deal of peripheral vision. So train yourself to use this innate ability you already have to improve your driving skills.

Break Away From The Crowd

There are too many drivers on the road who like to step on their brakes unnecessarily. Needless to say their brake pads will suffer additional wear and they will also have to step on more gas to play catch up. You have to learn to read the speed of those vehicles in front of you and respond accordingly. Keeping a good safety distance can also help you to coast along without grinding your brake pads more often than you wish.

Throw Those Junk Overboard

Get rid of all the dead weight in your car. If you have installed some aftermarket parts, you have already loaded your car with some weight. So do not weigh itdown with more fluids, metals and tools you do not need. Heavy vehicles are no good for your brake pads, your wheels and your petrol budget.

Open up all the compartments in your car and do a strict audit. You will realize many things on your car are there simply because you forget to take them down.

Flush your brakes

The braking system requires a little maintenance (bleeding and flushing) from time to time. By flushing the brake fluid, you will make the internal components last longer. Your brakes will work better as a result. Many manufacturers recommend changing your brake fluid every couple of years. You can do this yourself if you have the skill, or bring your car to a mechanic to get this done.

Upgrading Your Brakes

Just like every other things you use, there are quality ones and bargain types. Brakes are rather complex systems on their own and you have to know what your car needs. If you fall into the temptation of using cheap brake pads, then who can you blame when they wear out at the blink of an eye? If you use your car extensively, go for a good set of wheels and a suitable braking system. You will have a smoother ride throughout.

If you are shopping for a set of brake pads, check out which types are the most reliable. In addition, find out what materials are used. Many governments are now enlightened to the environmental effects of reducing asbestos and several heavy metals in brake materials. (Ref: Washington State Issues Proposed Brake Pad Regulations) You never know…this trend may reach Singapore real soon.