Specifications

{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness,
and judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who
has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a driver who will not
drink.
Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your
vehicle while driving — brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when driving on snow or ice,
it is easy to ask more of those control systems than
the tires and road can provide. Meaning, you can lose
control of your vehicle. See StabiliTrak
®
System on
page 4-5.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can affect
your vehicle’s performance. See Accessories and
Modifications on page 5-3.
Braking
See Brake System Warning Light on page 3-41.
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time. First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to bring
up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might be less
with one driver and as long as two or three seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness,
coordination, and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol,
drugs, and frustration. But even in three-fourths of a
second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road, whether it is pavement or
gravel; the condition of the road, whether it is wet, dry, or
icy; tire tread; the condition of the brakes; the weight of
the vehicle; and the amount of brake force applied.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. The brakes might not have time
to cool between hard stops. The brakes will wear
out much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking.
4-3