A car weighs close to two tons. When a two-ton object travels at speeds as high as 65 mph, bringing that object quickly to a stop is a significant undertaking.

Most of the time, when stopping your car, you anticipate the stop well in advance. You apply the brakes with gradually increasing pressure until your car comes to a stop at an intended spot in the road. But, let’s imagine your west bound on Route 12 on a rainy Spring Grove afternoon approaching the light at Winn Road by Walgreens.

The light is green and you’re doing 40 mph when someone heading north on Winn Road, passing through Spring Grove, runs the red light in front of you. It wouldn't matter if a Spring Grove squad car was watching from the side of the road, if you don’t stop in time, well, it could be bad.

Without hesitation, your foot comes off the gas pedal and slams down hard onto the brake pedal. As your pulse races, an unseen chain reaction now occurs. Brake fluid puts pressure on the pistons in your brake calipers forcing the brake shoes to squeeze the brake rotors. And, at this point, hopefully, they’re squeezing very hard.

If your brakes are in good shape, the brake shoes are squeezing hard enough to lock the rotors in place. Your tires are squealing as you rapidly come to a stop. If your brakes are not in good shape, it’s anyone’s guess how quickly you can stop. Will you stop in time? Hopefully. If not, hopefully, your airbag deploys properly. And, hopefully, your children or loved ones are not in the car with you.

The good news is that you don’t have to wait until you’re facing an emergency to find out if your brakes are up to the job. You can bring your car into any trusted auto repair shop and have your brakes checked.

Many car owners like maximize the use of their time by having the brakes checked while the car is in for an oil change. Knowing that, Performance Unlimited, just a little west of Spring Grove and south off of Route 31, is offering a free brake and safety inspection, valued at $40, with a non-discounted oil change. But, whether you bring your car to Performance Unlimited or somewhere else, having your brakes checked is a good way to ensure you can stop when you have to while also providing more than a little peace of mind.