If you drive only a few thousand miles a year, but it is mostly in an urban environment, you will be required to replace or, at the very least, inspect your brake system more often than if you drive many thousands of miles a year in open, rural areas. You will use your brakes more frequently in urban situations than when driving on a rural highway. Regrettably, no preset schedule tells you when it is time to replace your brakes, so you need to trust your ears and the advice of a professional automotive technician. As a rule of thumb, most vehicles will have their tires rotated every six months or so, and that is an excellent time to have the brakes inspected. A technician can check whether the remaining pad material is adequate and the condition of the brake discs or drums to see if any wear is evident. Many vehicles today have built-in wear indicators that scrape against a brake drum or disc when the pads or shoes need replacing. You may hear an annoying noise when you apply the brakes, giving you an audible warning that the brakes are worn out. Other signs include pulsing felt through the pedal, longer distances required for stopping the vehicle, or the brake pedal going down farther when you press it. Because brake pads and linings wear slowly, you may not notice the decrease in function, so professional assistance from a technician can help. All vehicles have a brake warning light that illuminates briefly every time you start your car. If the warning light comes on while operating the vehicle, that most likely means your braking system has a fault, is low on fluid, or has a problem elsewhere in the system. If this occurs, have the system checked by a professional as soon as possible to help avoid accidents or harm to the vehicle.