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Cruise Control (Option) When you apply your brakes, the Cruise Control shuts
off.
A CAUTION:
0 Cruise Control can be dangerous where
you can’t drive safely at
a steady speed.
So, don’t use your Cruise Control on
winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
With Cruise Control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips. Cruise
Control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph
(40 m).
I Cruise Control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause n dless
wheel spinning, and you could lose
control. Don’t use Cruise Control on
slippery roads.
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3. Push in the set button at the end of the lever and
release it. (The “CRUISE’ light on the instrument
panel will come on.)
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal. You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and stay
there.
A
To Resume a Set Speed
Suppose you set your Cruise Control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This,
of course, shuts off
the Cruise Control. But you don’t need to reset it. Once
you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more, you can
move the Cruise Control switch from
“ON’ to
“RES/ACC” (Resume/Accelerate) for about half a
If you hold the switch at “RES/ACC”
(Resume/Accelerate) longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you
release the switch or apply the brake. You could
be startled and even lose control.
So unless you
want to go faster, don’t hold the switch at
“RES/ACC.”
second. 0
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Headlights Reminder Light (Canada Only)
If your vehicle was first sold, when new, in Canada, this
light will
go on at night to remind you to turn on the
headlights.
Daytime Running Lights (Canada Only)
The Canadian Federal Government has decided that
“Daytime Running Lights” (DRL) are
a useful feature,
in that DRL can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during daylight hours.
DRL are required on
new vehicles sold in Canada.
Your DRL work with
a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Don’t cover it up.
The high beam headlights will come on at reduced
brightness in daylight when:
The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
At night, the headlights reminder light on the instrument
panel will come on to remind
you to turn on the
headlights. When
you turn on your headlights, the DRL
will switch
off and the exterior lights will come on.
When
you turn off the headlights, the exterior lights will
go out and the high beams will change to the reduced
brightness of DRL again. Of course, you may still turn on the headlights
or flash to pass any time you need to.
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Brake System Warning Light
0 At the gas. stati0n;the gas pump shuts off before. the
gage reads “F.” 1 ,
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This light will also come on when you set your parking
brake, and will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t
release fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the
light comes on while driving, pull
off the road and stop
carefully, You may notice that the pedal is harder to
push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Car” in
the Index.)
-
1
I A CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake warning light is on. Driving with the
brake warning light on can lead to an accident. If
the light is still on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefl
r, have the vehicle towed for
service.
I
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANTI.-
LOCK
With anti-lock, this light will go on unless you start your
engine and it will stay on for three .seconds. If the light
doesn’t come on, have it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when you’re driving,
stop as soon
as possible and turn the key off. Then start
the engine to reset the system. If the light still stays on,
or comes on again while you’re driving, your Buick
needs service. Unless the regular brake system warning
light is also on, you will still have brakes, but not
anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
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time. A green arrow means you may drive ir&that lane. ’
and days these systems are in effect. -,i ““ ff. 4 -’ ~‘’ - .. :
1 Look for the signs posted to warn drivers. what bQ.urs. .. . ,.
1 Pavement Markings
NO
PASSING I’
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 mare polite,
it’s safer
to let other drivers know what you are doing.
And in some places the law requires iver si.gnals.
L. ..
Turn and lane change signals. Always signal: when you
plan to turn or change lanes.
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 Toad conditions
you may encounter.
._ . .-_. ;: , , .c**“jy;, “C.$ -,a,, ..,... ’ : ., - , . ,.> p :, , ,. . +.
Defensive Driving $@, *-<; .I i.?;’ * i.
, +& ’ . i *. , .. . I I- ., I.. .. \e. . *, ,
The best advice anyone can give about\driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please
start with a very important safety device in your
Buick: Buckle up. (See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
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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. 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
early on Sunday morning. In fact,
GM Research studies
show that the most and the least dangerous times for
driving, every week, fall an the same day. That day is
Sunday. The most dangerous time is Sunday fi-om
3 a.m.
to 4 a.m. The safest time is Sunday from 10 a.m. to
11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a Sunday at 3 a.m.
isn’t just a little more dangerous than it is at 10 a.m. It’s
about 134 times more dangerous!
That leads to the next section.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
Drunken Driving
where there are well-marked lanes, directional arrows, Death and\
injury associated with drinking and driving is
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
ignore all these markings and dash straight toward one highway \
death toll, claiming.thousands of victims every
part
of the lot.
year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone needs
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 to drive a vehicle: Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
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alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries Control of a Vehicle
worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord and
heart injuries. That means that if anyone who has been You have three systems that make
your vehicle go where
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
than if that person had not been drinking. And we’ve
at the places where the tires meet the road.
already seen that the chance of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers. chance
of being
filled or permanently disabled is higher the accelerator. All three Systems have to do their work
L
A CAUTION:
-
*. ,
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, and judgment will be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You
could have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident i 1
you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink an
drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
1;
Ride home in a cab; or if you’re with a group,
designate
a driver who will not drink.
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.
148