NU12 #12 - Car Brake Monitoring System by the Great White

NU12 #12 - Car Brake Monitoring System by the Great White

How many car accidents are caused by faulty brakes? I do not hold the exact figure but based on the stories I've heard and personal experiences I've had I am quite certain that there are a lot. Last year, as I was driving at a decent speed the car in front of me unexpectedly stopped. Consequently, I stepped on my brakes as hard as I could to stop my car but unfortunately all I heard was a grinding sound as the brake pedal and the whole car vibrated. Few seconds after, I tried swerving to the other lane to avoid the car in front of me as my brakes continued to make weird noises but it was too late. I hit the car in front of me.

The day after the incident I had my car brakes (and damages due to the crash) checked at my trusted service center. Upon opening up the brakes, they saw that some of my brakes were stuck up due to some solidified mud. Furthermore, they said that the brake pads were also due for replacement.

It would be a good idea to have a brake monitoring system as a basic feature of a car just like the check engine sign every modern car has. Whenever we have dirty fuel or air filter, low coolant levels or any other issues with the engine, a check engine light will be activated in our speedometer to alarm us. Luxury cars nowadays are installed with tire pressure monitoring system to inform them of their current tire pressure conditions. It would be nice if drivers will also be alarmed in cases where our brakes need some maintenance or repair. Especially if it's clogged with dirt or mud or the brake pads are no longer effective which all causes faulty braking performance. All it takes is a sensor to determine the efficiency of all the brakes and a warning light on the speedometer that goes on if the sensors detect some issues with the braking power. Once the brake warning light goes on, I believe the driver will feel the urgency to have his/her brakes checked since it is probably the most important feature of a car.  <available at BMW, and there are ordinary sensors that squeak when the pads have become thin;  disc brakes are self cleaning> 3

Submitted by: The Great White