The brakes for Automotive use may be classified according the following considerations:- 1.  Purpose 2. Location 3. Construction 4. Method of actuation 5. Extra braking effort

Purpose:- From this point of view the brakes may be classified as the service or the primary and the parking or the secondary brakes. The service brakes are the main brakes used for stopping the vehicle while in motion, whereas the parking brakes are meant to hold the vehicle on a slope.

Location:- The brakes may be located either at the transmission or at the wheels. The wheel brakes are definitely better from heat dissipation point of view on account of two reasons. Firstly the location of Transmission brakes from this view point is very poor and secondly there is only one brake drum whereas in case of wheel brakes we may have four brake drums that is one on each wheel which increases the area available for heat dissipation. Further as in case of Transmission brakes the whole of the braking torque has to be transmitted through the universal joints, propeller shaft, Differential and the rear axle, suitable provision must be made in the design and their sizes increased proportionally. However, if the brakes are located on the transmission, the braking torque is equally divided automatically by the differential between the two wheels and no special compensation is needed. Further because of the reduction at the differential, the transmission brakes would be stronger than the brakes of similar capacity at the wheels.

In case of automobiles, the wheel brakes are used universally.

Construction:- From construction point of view, two categories are the brake drum and the disc brakes.

Method of actuation:- This criteria gives the following brake types:- (a) mechanical brakes (b) hydraulic brakes (c) electric brakes (d) vacuum brakes (e) air brakes (f) by wire brakes.

Extra braking effort:- When the weight of the vehicle is more, so that the driver cannot apply the brakes comfortably without fatigue his effort is supplemented with some source of energy which makes the application of brakes easier. If this outside help, which may be taken from the transmission of the vehicle itself, only partly helps the driver, who also has to apply some effort, the brakes are called Servo brakes or Power assisted brakes. However, when practically none of the braking effort is applied by the driver, the brakes are termed power brakes or Power operated brakes.