When assessing your brakes, what should be the main focus?

The main focus when assessing your brakes should be the effectiveness and responsiveness. This is crucial for ensuring safety on the road. Effective brakes should respond promptly when applied, allowing the driver to stop the vehicle smoothly and quickly when necessary. A delay or lack of response can lead to dangerous situations, especially in emergencies or when stopping in traffic.

Assessing effectiveness involves not only checking how quickly the vehicle stops but also ensuring that there is no excessive vibration or pulling to one side, which can indicate underlying issues. Overall, focusing on the performance of the brakes helps ensure that they can handle various driving conditions and provide the necessary stopping power needed for safe driving.

While factors like noise, the color of brake fluid, and the function of brake lights are also important maintenance checks, they do not directly impact the primary function of the brakes themselves—stopping the vehicle effectively.