The brakes also allow you to make an emergency stop if you need to.
It is therefore important that you ensure that your braking system is maintained and operating at optimum levels. It is a legal requirement that your braking system performs as intended and your brakes will be tested as part of your MoT.

Like all components, brakes and indeed braking performance deteriorate over time and because it happens gradually, many people don't notice the difference in their braking system. Having your brakes checked regularly could also save you time and money by preventing damage to other components.

How do brakes wear differently?
Different driving patterns have a dramatic effect on how often your brakes need servicing. For example, a set of brake pads could last up to 60,000 miles or more on a car driven mostly on the motorway, may last only 25,000 or 30,000 miles or less on the same vehicle driven in busy city traffic.

Front brakes normally wear out before rear brakes because they handle a higher percentage of the braking load, especially on front-wheel drive cars.
It is often recommended that brake pads should be replaced if the pad friction material has worn down to a thickness of 3 millimeters. Brake disc thickness should be measured and replaced if they measure at or below the manufacturer's safe minimum thickness specification.

We also recommends that brake discs or drums are replaced in axle sets. Replacing one brake disc or drum could cause an imbalanced braking performance that could lead to further premature wear. When new parts are fitted, it's vital to drive gently and carefully until they 'bed in', which takes approximately 200 miles. Excessive braking action on new parts will potentially damage them and lead to a loss of braking efficiency and performance.

Drum Brakes
A drum brake system consists of hydraulic wheel cylinders, brake shoes and a brake drum. When the brake pedal is applied the two curved brake shoes, which have a friction material lining, are forced by hydraulic wheel cylinders against the inner surface of a rotating brake drum. The result of this contact produces friction which enables the vehicle to slow down or stop.