Owner's Manual
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into
a
situation
that requires hard braking.
If
you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if
you don’t have anti-lock, your
first reaction
--
to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
--
may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to
your steering. Momentum will
carry
it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use
a
“squeeze” braking
technique.
This
will give
you
maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease
off
the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control. (If you
do
have
anti-lock, it’s different: see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in
the
Index.)
In
many
emergencies, steering can help
you
more than
even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If
you
lose power steering assist because the engine‘
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Variable
Assist Steering
This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and when driving at low speeds. Steering effort
will increase at higher speeds for improved road feel.
Steering Tips
Driving
on
Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A
lot
of
the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws
of
physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the
vehicle gqing
in
the
same direction.
If
you’ve ever
. .
,,:
.,
..
%
A,.
.c
..
j:
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand
this.