Brake Pad Malfunctions: Signs and Causes

According to the Department for Transport, there were 181,384 casualties (of all severities) linked to road traffic accidents in the UK last year, with 1,792 of those involving fatalities. While that’s a 3% decrease from the previous year (and notably the lowest on record), it’s still a number that’s far higher than we’d like it to be.

The causes of these accidents range from driver error to acts of God, but 5% of casualties are caused by mechanical failure. This might not seem a high number at first glance, but considering all of these can be avoided with proper maintenance of a vehicle, it’s a percentage that should be much lower.

A common cause of mechanical failure is the faulty brakes, an in particular worn or damaged brake pads, which can dramatically affect a car’s ability to stop — particularly in an emergency. The following infographic from Autodoc highlights some of the signs and causes of brake pad malfunctions, hopefully allowing you to spot the signs early, and to diagnose and fix the problem before it becomes a danger to you and your passengers: