1993 BUICK RIVIERA tires

Control of a Vehicle Braking
You
have three systems that make your vehicle go where Braking act\
ion involves perception time and reaction
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and time.
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work First\
,
you have to decide to push on the brake pedal,
at the places where the tires meet the road.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do
it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
3/4 of a second. But
that’s 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
3/4 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.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle.
~ And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition of
your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some,
however, overwork the braking system with poor
driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
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Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be
a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate or heavier stop, then your
brakes might not adjust correctly.
If you drive in that
way, then
-- very carefully -- make a few moderate
brake stops about every
1000 miles ( 1600 km), so your
brakes will adjust properly.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time.
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 fails to function, you can steer but it
will take much more
effort.
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 going
in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
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Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it may
be slowing down
or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the thee control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Buick’s
three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too

much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn a corner
on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot
off
the acceleratorpedal as soon as you feel the vehicle start
to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you
start steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front
wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel,
or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enoughewater, ice or packed snow on the road to make
a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid. Steer the way you want to
go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason
is that some drivers are likely to be impaired --
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Driving in the Rain It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get
wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even
if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse for
vision than rain, especially
if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate
from the inserts.
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll ge\
t even less traction.
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r/d CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t
work well in a quick stop and may cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control of the
vehicle.
After driving through a large puddre of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
I- Hydroplaning
I
1 Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
going through some car washes can cause problems, too. it has little or no contact with the road.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them. You
might not be aware of hydroplaning. You could
drive along for some time without realizing your tires aren’t
in constant contact with the road. You could find
out the hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out
to pass
-- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could
suddenly find yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn‘t happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in one or

if the pressure in one or more is low. It can happen if a
lot of water
is standing on the road. If you can see
reflections from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could \
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining, and be
.
careful.
Some Other .Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles corning from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray. If the road spray is
so heavy you are
actually blinded, drop back. Don’t pass until conditions improve. Going more slowly
is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger
if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires” in the Index.)
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
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Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can,
be
so mild that you can see through it for several
hundred feet (meters).
Or it might be so thick that you
can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be
reduced quickly. The biggest dangers are striking the
vehicle ahead
or being struck by the one behind. Try to
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~ Before Leaving on a
Long Trip 0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook along
your route? Should
you delay your trip a short time
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you to avoid a major storm system?
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part 0 Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
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of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in. On the Road
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help if
you need it.
Here are
some things you can check before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
0 Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape!
0 Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked all
levels?
0 Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving?
Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure? Unless you
are the only driver, it is good to share
the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up. But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access, you’ll want to watch for some situations not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and school zones, vehicles turning left and right off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles. td even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway
hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call
it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
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