August will be Brake Safety Awareness Month, according to the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP) of the Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association.

This is the sixth consecutive year MAP has designated a time period for brake safety awareness, but the first time it has chosen a month instead of a week, MAP said.

During August, more than 9,200 participating MAP facilities will offer inspections, educate vehicle owners regarding key undercar systems, provide complimentary automotive troubleshooting materials and answer motorists’ preventive maintenance questions, MAP said.

This year, participating facilities will offer new point-of-sale promotional materials, including posters and information sheets titled “Brake Time” designed to educate consumers on the benefits of brake inspections.

Every year, consumer participation in MAP’s brake safety awareness programs has increased substantially, MAP said. During Brake Safety Awareness Week in 2010, participating facilities performed repairs on more than 50 percent of the brakes they inspected, it said.

Consumers can find participating facilities by looking for the “Motorist Assurance Program” decals near their entrances or by visiting the MAP website.