1993 CADILLAC DEVILLE ESP

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine So here are some tips for passing:
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“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads
for situations that might affect your passing patterns.
If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines.
If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your
pass. A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line on your
side
of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the vehicle you want to pass isn’t
aware
of your presence, tap the horn a couple of times before passing.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or
stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate
but stay in the right lane and don’t get too close. Time your move
so
you will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other
lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a “running start” that
more than makes up for the distance you would lose by dropping back.
And
if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need
only
slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you
are far enough ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate
your right lane change signal and move back
into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror
is
convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from
you than it really is.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
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.
0 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 three
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 Cadillac’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 accelerator pedal 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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the
vehicle ahead is going just by looking at its taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
0 If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as we get older
these differences increase.
A 50-year-old driver may require at least twice
as much light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night vision. For
example, if
you spend the day in bright sunshine you are wise to wear
sunglasses. Your eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also make a lot
of things invisible that
should remain visible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to put
on your
sunglasses after you have pulled into a brightly-lighted service or
refreshment area. Eyes shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly
to darkness back
on the road. But be sure to remove your sunglasses
before you leave the service area.
IOU can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take a
second or two, or
even several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the
dark. When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t
lower the high beams, or
a vehicle with misaimed headlights), slow down
a little. Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights.
If there is a line
of opposing traffic, make occasional glances over the line of headlights to
make certain that one
of the vehicles isn’t starting to move into your lane.
Once you are past the bright lights, give your eyes time to readjust before
resuming speed.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DMNG IN THE RAlN
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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
get even less traction.
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 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 coming 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.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine DRZWNG IN FOG, MISTAND 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 “read” the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
ahead starts to become less clear or, at night,
if the taillights are harder to
see, the fog is probably thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you a
chance to slow down. Everybody then has a better chance to avoid hitting
the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only for a few feet (meters) or for miles
(kilometers);
you can’t really tell while you’re in it. You can only treat the
situation with extreme care.
One common fog condition
-- sometimes called mist or ground fog -- can
happen
in weather that seems perfect, especially at night or in the early
morning in valley and low, marshy areas. You can be suddenly enveloped
in thick, wet haze that may even coat your windshield. You can often spot
these
fog patches or mist layers with your headlights. But sometimes they
can be waiting for you
as you come over a hill or dip into a shallow valley.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I I
Start your windshield wipers and washer, to help clear accumulated road
dirt. Slow down carefully.
Tips on Driving in Fog
If you get caught in fog, turn your headlights on low beam, even in
daytime. You’ll see -- and be seen -- better.
Don’t use your high beams. The light will bounce off the water droplets
that make up fog and reflect back at you.
Use your defogger.
In high humidity, even a light buildup of moisture on
the inside
of the glass will cut down on your already limited visibility. Run
your windshield wipers and washer occasionally. Moisture can build up
on the outside glass, and what seems to be fog may actually be moisture
on the outside of your windshield.
Treat dense fog as an emergency.
Try to find a place to pull off the road.
Of course you want to respect another’s property, but you might need to
put something between you and moving vehicles
-- space, trees, telephone
poles, a private driveway, anything that removes you from other traffic.
If visibility is near zero and you must stop but are unsure whether you are
away from the road, turn your lights on, start your hazard warning
flashers, and sound your horn at intervals or when you hear approaching
traffic.
Pass other vehicles in fog only if you can see far enough ahead to pass
safely. Even then, be prepared to delay your pass if you suspect the fog is
worse up ahead.
If other vehicles try to pass you, make it easy for them.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Obey all posted speed limits. But remember that they are for ideal
road, weather and visibility conditions. You may need to drive below
the posted limit in bad weather or when visibility is especially poor.
Pull to the right (with care) and stop clear of intersections when you
see or hear emergency vehicles.
FREEWAYDWNG
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have
their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep up with traffic and
keep to the right. Drive
at the same speed most of the other drivers are
driving. Too-fast
or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat
the left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the freeway. If you
have a clear view
of the freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp,
you should begin to check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the
flow. If traffic is light, you may have no problem. But if it is
heavy, find a gap as you move along the entering lane and time your
approach.
Try to merge into the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
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