Service manual
Try
not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the
next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to
turn.
0
If you’re being passed, make
it
easy for the following driver to get
ahead
of
you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
LOSS
OF
CONTROL
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet
the
road
to
do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek
an escape route or area
of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by
not “overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Cadillac’s three control
systems. In the braking skid your
wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering
in
a
curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A
cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn
a
corner on
a
wet,
snow-
or ice-covered road), ease your foot off the accelerator pedal as
soon
as
you feel the vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will
straighten out.
As
it does, straighten the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is
on
the road. For safety, you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to
slow down on slippery
192