Abstract: There is disclosed herein a braking system for use in safely reducing the speed and stopping movement of vehicles, such as cars or trucks, or airplanes, by minimizing brake failure due to heat build-up and by providing auxiliary braking capacity. The system includes primary and secondary brake sections associated with weight-supporting and braking wheels, temperature sensors for sensing the temperature in each brake section, friction force sensors for sensing frictional forces in each section and pressure sensors for sensing hydraulic or pneumatic pressure. Controls receive the sensed temperature, friction forces and pressures and selectively activate, individually or in combination, the primary and secondary brake sections. The controls include an apparatus for comparing the measured pressure, friction forces and brake temperatures with predetermined values and automatically operating the braking system in response to those comparisons.