Owner's Manual

9-2 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior
Whenever we drive, we are taking
on an important responsibility. This
is true for any motor
vehicle — passenger car, van, truck,
sport utility. Driver behavior, the
driving environment, and the
vehicle's design all affect how well a
vehicle performs. But statistics show
that the most important factor, by
far, is how we drive.
Knowing how these three factors
work together can help you
understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to
avoid many types of crashes,
including a rollover crash.
The single most important thing is
this: everyone in the vehicle,
including the driver, should buckle
up. See Safety Belts
on page 3‑10 .
In fact, most serious injuries and
fatalities to unbelted occupants can
be reduced or prevented by the use
of safety belts. In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is significantly
more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt. In addition,
avoiding excessive speed, sudden
or abrupt turns, and drunken or
aggressive driving can help make
trips safer and avoid the possibility
of a crash, especially a rollover
crash. This section provides many
useful tips to help you drive more
safely.
Driving Environment
You can also help avoid a rollover or
other type of crash by being
prepared for driving in inclement
weather, at night, or during other
times where visibility or traction may
be limited, such as on curves,
slippery roads, or hilly terrain.
Unfamiliar surroundings can also
have hidden hazards.
To help you learn more about
driving in different conditions, this
section contains information about
city, freeway, and off-road driving,
as well as other hints for driving in
various weather conditions.
Vehicle Design
According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, utility vehicles have
a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. Utility
vehicles do have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track or
shorter wheelbase than passenger
cars, to make them more capable
for off-road driving. Specific design
characteristics like these give the
driver a better view of the road, but
also give utility vehicles a higher
center of gravity than other types of
vehicles. This means that you
should not expect a utility vehicle to
handle the same way a vehicle with
a lower center of gravity, like a car,
would in similar situations.
But driver behavior factors are far
more often the cause of a utility
vehicle rollover than are
environmental or vehicle factors.