Your car works hard to get you where you need to go every day, but do you understand how? A collection of complex mechanical systems, your vehicle is an ecosystem all on its own, with countless components working together to offer you safe, convenient transportation.

Of course, part of the appeal of a car is that it keeps you as comfortable as it does safe. This task falls to your brakes, suspension and steering.

Brakes
Your car's brakes are what transform it from a rolling safety hazard into a useful piece of transportation. You rely on your brakes to be responsive and effective, but how do they work? 

For such a simple task, your brakes are actually complex pieces of machinery. As CarParts.com explained, when you step on your brake pedal, a hydraulic system injects brake fluid into the wheel. The pressure of this fluid causes brake discs to push up against your car's wheels, creating friction and ultimately slowing it down.

Suspension
The next time you sleep through a long road trip, you should be sure to thank your car's suspension when you wake up. This system is responsible for ensuring you have a smooth ride regardless of road conditions. Comprised of a series of springs and shocks, the NTB Tire & Service Centers reported that this system is important for more than just keeping passengers comfy. In fact, vehicle suspension is an essential part of its handling.

Without the stabilizing power of your car's suspension, bumps and potholes would jostle your car and throw off your steering, or even cause your tires to lose traction with the road. Needless to say, either of these would pose serious safety concerns.

Steering
Like so many of the mechanical systems in your car, the steering is more complicated than you would suspect. Responsible for turning your wheels and keeping your pointed in the direction you want to travel in, power steering is included in nearly all models these days. This is a hydraulic system that uses fluid injection to assist with applying the necessary force to your car's wheels, enabling you to turn your several-ton car without exerting Herculean effort. 

As NTB reported, power steering also helps make sure you don't steer too hard – it responds to how much force you exert on the wheel and compensates accordingly, keeping you on the straight and narrow.

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