LOL. I’m one of those people, ya know? Frequently working on my “I told you so” speech for when the machines finally do take over the world. They’re already a good portion of the way there… 
I do dave - thanks!
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Not. At least in a diy’ers case, like yours. You know your older (presumably) car better than nearly any mechanic you’d take it to. You know how to be proactive about the maintenance, and to spot problems early on, from leaks, sounds etc. In your case the standard break pad wear indicator that issues a simple warning sound from the interference that occurs at wheel when the pad is worn out, that seems perfectly adequate for the job.
For the average car owner who either does no work on their cars at all, or maybe an occassional oil and filter change, having one of the more fancy types of brake pad indicator system , I can see why that might be better. Whether the type that reports the % of pad remaining, or the other which just illuminate a warning light when the pad has worn out, there are quite a few factors to consider.
- Initial cost
- Repair cost
- Reliability
If all three of those are a wash, no contest, the % type is best. But if the % type involves a compromise on one or more of those parameters , harder to say which is preferred. My guess the compromises with the % type would point to the dashboard warning type.
I know many people that can easily ignore any illuminated warning light even if it is flashing in the instrument cluster. It’s less likely they can ignore an abrasive screeching sound every time they apply the brakes. Most people are far too self-conscious to drive around like that even if they are clueless about what it means.
However, just recently, a neighbor has been coming and going with a nasty belt squeal that has persisted for several days. I couldn’t leave that happening for an afternoon let alone days on end. Just from my own perspective! So there is definitive evidence they do exist but I think it is in the significant minority to those who can ignore flashing dash lights… 
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Reminds me of the time I hadn’t driven my truck for several months b/c repairs were underway, then took it for a drive around the neighborhood as a test in preparation for getting it back on the road. As I rounded a corner a neighbor hears a scraping sound, screams at me " your truck’s brakes are failing, get them fixed now!!!" … The sound the neighbor was hearing wasn’t the brakes , it was the differential limited-slip clutches … lol…
You may indeed presume. The “newest” car in my present fleet (and of all time, in fact) is a 2006 SAAB 9-3 with over 240K on it. LOL. And I do often feel like I know my own things better than the shops. I’m the one who lives with the thing.
While I wouldn’t speculate on proportions of people ignoring warning lights vs. noises, I’ve often thought that dash lights have just become “the boy who cried wolf” in the minds of many. (“Oh, you probably just need a new gas cap!”)
@davesmopar - look how smart you made me. (I did figure I’d spend the time one day to figure it out, but that DIY moment had not yet arrived).
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I figured you’d do it at home, that’s why I used the smiley emoji.
Several years ago I replaced the rear disk brake calipers on the driveway between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Fortunately the temperature was around 40F and it wasn’t no early as cond as I expect it will be for you. It’ll be in the 50s in Central Maryland for Christmas.
Nahh, I have a clean well-lit shop with hoist, air compressor, etc. at work so I take advantage of that whenever I can.
Up here in the rainy Pacific NW Christmas is looking to be mid-40’s and light rain. Which describes typical weather for the next 3 months! Blech. The older I get the more I hate the rain. I may come visit you in Maryland.
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Maryland hasn’t been much better. Two “Nor’eastahs” the last two weeks. It’s that time of year. Might as well be the Pacific NW. (Tho’ I’m in Central VA, we normally get the very same systems as MD - usually just a little before they do.)
We get about the amount of rain you do in the Pacific NW unless you are in the rain forest around the Olympic National Forest. Seattle gets a lot of rain the the Western US, but most of the US east of the Mississippi River gets about that much. A few years ago we had over 70” of precipitation. You’re welcome to visit though. Lots of sights in and around DC and Baltimore. The crabs during the winter are from Galveston. Still blue crabs, but they are hunkering down for winter in the Chesapeake Bay.
Yes it’s now required in Europe.
I have heard in more than one forum that if your brake fluid level is set correctly when new pads are installed, then as the pads wear the fluid level lowers because there is more space in the system to fill as the caliper pistons’ resting position is extended further out. The brake warning light then will illuminate when the level reaches the low level setpoint supposedly around the time that the pads are mostly worn.
It seems it would be difficult to get repeatable warnings with this setup.
That’s the way it works on my Corolla. One problem w/this method is when one/set of pad/shoes wears faster than the rest. The brake fluid may not get low enough to trigger the warning light even though pad or shoe replacement is needed asap. But it is better than nothing. It is fairly easy to see how much pad is remaining on the Corolla’s front brakes just by removing the wheel and peering through a hole in the caliper, and the rear shoes don’t seem to suffer much wear, and when eventually they do need replacement they’ll start making a very noticeable scraping noise when applying the brakes, which provides an early warning to the driver something is badly amiss.