Why Would Someone Remove Their Car’s Brakes?

There’s no doubt that brakes save lives, and every driver has likely prevented an accident by slamming down on their brake pedal. However, there’s a select group of driver’s who’d prefer to have no brakes in their car, relying on the engine (or some clever strategies) to get their vehicle to decelerate or stop.

Why would these drivers take the risk? There’s actually a very reasonable answer, which we’ll get to in a moment. While we’d absolutely never endorse driving without brakes, it’s certainly an interesting strategy. Regardless, you should refer to the mechanics at your local brake repair shops before doing any kind of repairs…

Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing.net describes, there was a time when brakes weren’t included in vehicles, and drivers were forced to rely on engine braking. The writers notes that automotive fatalities were generally down back in the day (although the increase could be attributed to a variety of factors, including the speed and power of newer cars), and some even believe these older cars had greater braking ability.

A desire to model these older cars isn’t the only motivation for removing a car’s brakes. Many drivers attribute accidents to panicked braking, as driver’s generally get flustered when an accident is inevitable. While the logic may not be completely sound, the general belief is that these types of accidents will be avoided if brakes weren’t relied on for stopping and slowing down a vehicle.

So how do these drivers brake? They rely on the engine, shifting gears to get slower speeds. If you were to drive an automatic car with no brakes, you’d want to continue downshifting until your car has come to a rest. The process is practically the same for a manual, as you want to continue working through the gears and downshift. This should be a gradual process, as shifting gears too quickly could result in a lack of control.

Other strategies include using the emergency brake (although it can be assumed that those who remove their regular brakes wouldn’t find this tool necessary, either) or swerving slightly without accelerating, as the added friction will gradually slow down your wheels. All of these techniques take lots of practice. If you’re considering removing your brakes, you should certainly test out how your car operates when you don’t use the brakes.

The US government has tried to make brakes mandatory, but it still remains a personal decision. No dealership or mechanic is going to recommend the strategy, and it’s unlikely many of your friends will ask you for a ride. Maintenance on your brakes will certainly be eliminated, but you may be compromising you and your vehicle’s safety just to save some money.

Instead of removing your faulty brakes, get them checked out at DePaula in Albany, New York. The knowledgeable mechanics will get your car working in no time.