User's Manual Part 2

175
3
About your Vehicle
Warning
On stretches where visibility is good, turn off the rear fog light,
it may be annoying for the occupants of the vehicles behind
you.
- Remember that fog makes the road damp and therefore all
manoeuvres are more difficult and braking distances are longer.
- Keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.
- As far as possible, avoid suddenly changing speed and direction.
- As far as possible, avoid overtaking.
- In the event of an emergency stop, (e.g. failures, inability to
proceed due to poor visibility conditions, etc.) try to free the
main driving lane. Then turn on the hazard warning lights and, if
possible, the low beams. On approaching another vehicle, sound
the horn rhythmically.
Driving on mountain roads
Below is some advice for driving on steep mountain roads:
- To prevent the brakes from overheating when driving downhill,
use the engine to brake by engaging a lower gear.
- Never coast downhill or drive downhill with the engine off or
in neutral, nor with the ignition key removed from the steering
column.
-
Drive at a moderate speeds and do not “cut” corners.
- Remember that overtaking uphill is slower and requires a longer
free stretch of road. If you are overtaken when driving uphill,
ensure that the other vehicle can pass easily.
- Do not drive through puddles at high speeds since you do not
know how deep they may be; Travelling through a puddle at high
speed can result in losing control of the vehicle (“aquaplaning”):
if this occurs, grip the steering wheel firmly.
Warning
If the road is wet, reduce your speed to avoid “aquaplaning”
(during which the tyre no longer touches the road surface. This
is due to the fact that, when the road is very wet and vehicle
speed is high, because of their particular shape or insufficient
depth, the side channels of the tyre tread are not capable of
removing all of the water channelled so that a layer of water is
placed between the road surface and the tyre. The fluid pressure
generated is so high that it supports the vehicle's weight making
it virtually impossible for the driver to control the vehicle).
- Use the ventilation system to demist the windscreen (see
page 199) and avoid visibility problems.
- Periodically check the condition of the windscreen wiper blades.
Driving in fog
Whenever possible, avoid travelling if there is thick fog. If you have
to drive in misty conditions, or if there is thick fog or fog banks,
follow these rules:
- Keep a moderate speed.
- Turn on the low beams, also during the day, and use the rear fog
light. Avoid using the high beams.