How To Brake Correctly

I have a confession: Some people are not used to my braking style, which is the correct way to use the brakes. 

What is my braking style? 

I don't rest my foot on the brake pedal from a long distance to achieve "smooth braking", nor do I accelerate towards a traffic light and then brake harshly. Instead, I remove my foot from the accelerator and let the car slow down until I reach an appropriate distance to hit the brakes safely. While some folks complain that my braking style feels a bit "hard," I have managed to perfect both the braking pressure and distance. I also keep my eyes on the road and let the car slow down on its own when I see traffic slowing ahead of me. I just don't hit the brakes often, and I don't wait until the last moment. 

How do you use the brakes correctly? Here are Nissan's recommendations: 

Nissan states, "Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the brake pads faster, and reduce gas mileage. To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the brakes from overheating, reduce speed and downshift to a lower gear before going down a slope or long grade. Overheated brakes may reduce braking performance and could result in loss of vehicle control." *

What does this mean? It means that you should stop overheating your brakes by resting your foot on the pedal and braking unnecessarily from a long distance. The best thing is to simply lift your foot off the gas and allow the vehicle to slow down on its own, and you should also avoid tailgating. Just watch the traffic ahead of you and stop speeding up. Don't be like other impatient drivers, as I notice they like to accelerate when approaching a traffic light as if they're at a finish line, for example. 

By doing this, you help reduce wear and tear. Instead of speeding up until you reach the braking point, you should slow down, removing your foot from the gas pedal and then braking properly without resting your foot. 

As a bonus, you end up saving lots of money by not wearing out your brake pads! You can thank me later for this. 

But make sure you don't get called out for "hard braking." 

On a separate note, the brakes may get soaked if your car is washed or driven through water. Consequently, your braking distance will become longer, and the vehicle may pull to one side during braking. Nissan advises, "To dry the brakes, drive the car at a safe speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal to heat up the brakes. Do this until the brakes return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds until the brakes function correctly. While driving on a slippery surface, be careful when braking, accelerating, or downshifting. Abrupt braking or accelerating could cause the wheels to skid and result in an accident."

Use your brakes the right way! Happy driving. 

*Source: Nissan Owner Manual