Bang, crack, sizzle, and pop: The sound of vehicle safety
**A contributed post as written for The Safe Driver.
The ability to listen to and understand our vehicles is an essential part of car ownership. Even those of us who pride ourselves for our maintenance checks can miss issues if we don’t take the time to listen. Most commonly, strange sounds alert us to the need for professional engine attention. And, sometimes, sounds even alert us to safety issues which could easily cause an accident if we don’t address them.
With that in mind, then, you should never ignore a new sound when you turn your key in the ignition or set off on a journey. Aside from just leaving you out of pocket, doing so could risk your safety and that of the people around you on the road. So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at some symphonic changes which could suggest a compromise in road safety.
Squealing brakes
Perhaps the most worrying sound of all is that of squealing brakes. Our car brakes, like anything, need regular maintenance and attention so they can perform at the top of their game. But, if your brakes start to squeal each time you put your foot on the pedal, it’s a sure sign all is not well with your brake pads. And, struggling brakes can cause significant safety risks for obvious reasons. You certainly don’t want those brakes to fail you if you’re moving at high speed and have fast cars right behind you. If that happened, you’d be hard pushed to come out of it alive. The good news is, you could consider this squealing as a warning. This is the first sign that your brake pads are starting to wear down and need replacing. As such, you shouldn’t panic. 
Simply book an appointment at your local garage before you get to the stage where you have grinding brakes on your hands. While replacing brake pads is an easy enough task, grinding suggests the brake pads are gone, and you’re looking at metal on metal. As well as being highly dangerous, this could lead to the need for replacement rotors, which is a much more complicated and expensive job. To make sure things don’t get that far, listen to your brake’s cries as soon as you hear them. That way, you can stay safe, and keep your money in the bank.
Bumpy suspension
We all dread those things which go bump in the night, but you should hold the same level of fear for any bumps in your car suspension. In truth, this can be somewhat difficult to diagnose. After all, in-car bumps can come from various sources, including the contents of your trunk. But, rather than assuming that’s the case, clear the trunk and listen again. If you still hear bumps, you’ve got a problem somewhere. To further narrow this down, consider when these bumps occur. If you hear something each time you go over a lump or road bump, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve got an issue with your suspension. In most cases, this is a sign that your shock absorbers need replacing. That’s no major issue considering this should be done around every four or five years anyway. The problem comes when you ignore this, as suspension deals with the connection between your steerage and tires. Need we explain why this can cause safety issues on the road? For the most part, you may not even notice this issue. But, an unfortunate bump in the road with broken shock absorbers could send your steering entirely out of whack. If that happens, it’s an accident waiting to happen. And, again, this impacts both you and the people around you in equal measure. So listen out for those bumps in your vehicle from now on. And, don’t let your fear of them stop you from booking in with a mechanic!
Pop!
Hearing a loud pop when we’re on the road is something all drivers fear in some form or another. But, it’s something which can happen and requires IMMEDIATE attention. This is a pretty sure sign that your tires have popped on something they shouldn’t have. It may be that there 
was a pin in the road, or merely that they rode over something which found a weak spot. Either way, if this happens, you’re in significant danger. In some cases, a popped tire will leave you out of control before you know it’s happened. But, if you hear a loud pop which doesn’t throw your steering, you still need to pull over as soon as humanly possible. Find a layby, or pull off that highway at the next junction. Either way, you need to get off the road. If you’re lucky, the pin which popped your tire will be stuck in there and stopping combustion. Or, it may be that you’re losing air fast and every second counts. Either way, don’t take risks here. Assume the worst, and get yourself to safety. Then, make sure you don’t get back on the road until you’ve installed a new tire. If you’ve had to stop on a hard shoulder or somewhere else unsafe, though, don’t even attempt this. Instead, get out of the car and call for help from a place of safety.
Sounds around the corner
Lastly, make sure to be wary of sounds of any kind when you turn corners. Again, you’ll need to be sure that this isn’t the items in your trunk moving with your vehicle. If not, there’s a good chance you’ve got an issue with your steering linkage. These are what they say on the tin, and the consequences can be every bit as dangerous as you’d think. Like your suspension, this relates to your ability to steer, specifically your front tires. Fail to address issues here, and you’ll lose control when turning corners. Luckily, strange sounds when turning can often reveal a need for steering linkage lubrication. So, attempt that first. If you still have issues, though, you may need replacements here to ensure your ongoing safety.