When a driver steps on the brake pedals, brake fluids flow to the rest of the brake system on each wheel. On more modern cars, the signal goes to the calipers, which clamp down on the brake pads to create friction against the brake rotors. On older and heavier cars, they would flow to the brake shoes, which push outward to make your brake drums grind against the inside of your wheels.

While both processes both involve friction to convert kinetic energy to heat, one is more preferred by specific car types for many reasons. While brake rotors are lighter and more dynamic, the brake drums have an innate locking mechanism that makes it much more reliable in steeper slopes. Some modern cars opt for brake drums only on their rear wheels, since using brake rotors for every wheel could be costly. Having brake drums for the back wheels would instead increase a car's parking reliability.

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