1993 BUICK CENTURY Owners Manual

A
LOW
SHOULDER
WORKERS
AHEAD
FLAGGER
AHEAD
ORANGE indicates road construction or maintenance.
You'll want
to slow down when you see an orange sign,
as part of the road may be closed off or torn up. And
there may be workers and maintenance vehicles around,
too.
GREEN is used to guide the driver. Green signs may
indicate upcoming freeway exits or
show the direction
you should
turn to reach a particular place.
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H
HOSPITAL INFORMATION
BLUE signs with white. letters show motorists’ services.
n
II
L
CANOEING SWIMMING
BROWN signs point out recreation areas or points of
historic or cultural interest.
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Shape of Road Signs
The shape of the sign will tell you something, too.
x
An OCTAGONAL (eight-sided) sign means STOP. It is
always red with white letters.
r
-
A DIAMOND-SHAPED sign is a warning of something
ahead-for example, a curve, steep hill,
soft shoulder, or
a narrow bridge.
Y
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I
I
A TRIANGLE, pointed downward, indicates YIELD. It
assigns
the right-of-way to traffic on certain approaches
to an intersection.
A TRIANGULAR sign also is used on two-lane roads to
indicate a NO PASSING ZONE. This sign will be on the
left side of the roadway.
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KEEP
RIGHT LEFT
OR
THROUGH RIGHT
TURN
ONLY
RECTANGULAR (square or oblong) signs show speed
limits, parking regulations, give directions,
and such
information as distances
to cities.
Symbols on Road Signs
There are many international road signs in use today.
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NO U’ NO NO
TURN PARKTNG BICYCLES
The basic message of many of these signs is in pictures
or graphic symbols.
A picture within a circle with a
diagonal line across it shows what not to do.
Traffic Lights
We’re all familiar with traffic rights or stop lights. Often
green arrows are being used in the lights for improved
traffic control. On some multilane roads, green arrows
light up, indicating that traffic in one or more lanes can
move or make a turn. Green arrows don’t mean “go no
matter what? You’ll still need to proceed with caution,
yielding the right of way to pedestrians and sometimes to
other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red
arrows to signify that you I
must stop before turning on red.
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x
I I
REVERSIBLE LANE ON MULTILANE ROADWAY
Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use
reversible-lane traffic control during rush hours. A red
X
light above a lane means no driving in that lane at that
time. A green arrow means you may drive in that lane.
Look for the signs posted to warn drivers what hours and
days these systems are in effect.
Pavement Markings
NO PASSING ZONE
Pavement markings add to traffic signs and signals. They
give information to drivers without taking attention from
the roadway. A solid yellow line on your side
of the road
or lane means “Don’t Cross:’
Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not only more polite, it’s
safer to let other drivers know what you are doing. And
in some places the law requires driver signals.
Turn and lane change signals. Always signal when you
plan to turn or change lanes.
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If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window:
Left arm straight out for a left turn, down for slow or
about-to-stop, and up
for a right turn.
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the brake pedal once
or twice in advance of slowing
or stopping. This warns
the driver behind you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal that your vehicle
is disabled or is a hazard.
See “Hazard Warning
Flashers’’ in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter what
the traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some
of the road conditions
you may encounter.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please
start with a very important sakty device in your Buick:
Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything:’
On city streets, rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected:’ Assume that pedestrians
or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars,
often followed by other children. Expect occupants in
parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for movement
in parked cars-someone may be about to open
a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are on a
through street. Be ready to brake
if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have to use the brake,
but if you do, you will be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
where there are well-marked lanes, directional mows,
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to
ignore
all these markings and dash straight toward one
part of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general,
you must give way to pedestrians even if you
know you
have the right of way.
Rear-end collisions
are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving maneuver, in both
city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle
in front of you is going
to brake or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about defensive driving.
The most dangerous time for driving in the
U.S. is very
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