
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine One of the  biggest  problems  with  city streets is the  amount  of traffic  on 
them.  You’ll  want to watch  out  for  what the  other  drivers are doing and 
pay  attention  to  traffic signals. 
Here  are  ways to increase  your safety  in  city  driving: 
--- 
0 
.-._- 0 
Know  the best  way to get  to where  you are going.  Try not  to  drive 
around  trying to pick 
out a familiar  street  or landmark.  Get a city  map 
and  plan your  trip  into an unknown  part of the  city  just  as 
you would 
for  a cross-country  trip. 
Try to use  the freeways  that rim and  crisscross  most large  cities. You’ll 
save  time  and energy.  (See the next  section, “Freeway Driving.”) 
Treat a  green light as a warning  signal. 
A traffic light is there  because 
the  corner  is  busy enough  to  need  it. When  a light  turns  green,  and 
just  before  you start  to  move, check both ways  for vehicles  that have 
not  cleared  the intersection  or may  be  running  the red  light. 
193   

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. 
FREEWAYDMNG 
r 
-, 
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. 1 
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 d 
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 
.- 
It 
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. u 
194   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine r 
Switch on your  turn signal, check your rearview  mirrors as you  move 
along,  and glance over your  shoulder as often  as necessary. 
Try to blend 
smoothly with  the traffic  flow. c- 
_I Driving on the  Freeway 
Once you are  on  the  freeway, adjust your speed  to  the  posted  limit or  to 
-- the prevailing  rate if it’s  slower.  Stay  in the  right  lane unless  you  want  to 
pass. 
If you  are  on  a two-lane  freeway, treat  the  right lane as the  slow  lane 
and  the left  lane  as the  passing  lane. 
through  lane,  the middle  lane  as the higher-speed  through  lane,  and  the 
left  lane  as the  passing  lane. 
- If you are  on  a  three-lane  freeway, treat  the  right lane as the  slower-speed 
L_ Before  changing  lanes, check your rearview  mirrors. Then use your  turn 
signal. 
Just  before  you leave  the  lane,  glance quickly  over your  shoulder to make 
sure  there  isn’t another  vehicle in your  “blind”  spot. 
If  you  are moving  from an outside  to 
a center  lane  on  a  freeway  having 
more  than  two lanes,  make  sure  another  vehicle isn’t about  to  move into 
the  same  spot.  Look  at  the  vehicles 
two lanes over and watch  for  telltale 
signs:  turn signals  flashing,  an increase  in speed,  or  moving toward the 
edge 
of the  lane. Be prepared  to  delay your move. 
- 
._. 
_I 
Once you are moving  on  the freeway,  make  certain  you  allow a 
reasonable  following distance. Expect  to move  slightly  slower  at night. 
c_ 
Leaving  the  Freeway 
When you want  to leave  the freeway,  move  to  the  proper lane well in 
__ advance. Dashing across  lanes at  the  last minute  is dangerous. If you  miss 
your  exit do  not,  under  any circumstances,  stop  and back up. Drive  on  to 
the  next  exit. 
- At each  exit point  is a  deceleration  lane.  Ideally it should be long  enough 
for  you  to  enter  it at  freeway  speed  (after  signaling, of course)  and  then 
do  your braking  before moving  onto  the  exit ramp.  Unfortunately,  not all 
braking.  Decide when to  start  braking. 
If you must  brake  on  the  through 
lane,  and 
if there  is traffic  close behind  you,  you  can allow  a  little  extra 
- deceleration  lanes  are long  enough -- some  are  too  short  for  all the 
195   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine time  and flash your brake  lights  (in  addition to your  turn signal)  as extra 
warning  that you are  about  to  slow  down and exit. 
The  exit ramp  can be curved, sometimes  quite sharply. 
-. 
U t I! The exit speed  is  usually  posted.  Reduce  your speed according  to your 
speedometer,  not  to  your sense 
of motion. After driving  for any  distance 
at  higher speeds,  you  may tend  to think you are going  slower  than you 
actually  are. For example, 
40 mph (65 h/h)  might seem like  only 20 mph c_? 
(30 km/h).  Obviously,  this could lead  to serious  trouble  on  a ramp 
designed  for 
20 mph (30 kmih)! 
I 
L/ 
DRIVTNG  A  LONG DISTANCE 
Although  most long trips today  are  made  on  freeways, there  are still 
many  made  on  regular highways. 
Long-distance  driving on freeways  and regular  highways  is  the  same in 
some  ways.  The trip has 
to be  planned  and  the vehicle  prepared,  you 
drive  at higher-than-city  speeds,  and there  are longer turns behind  the 
wheel.  You’ll  enjoy  your trip  more  if you  and your  vehicle  are in good 
shape.  Here  are  some tips for a successful  long  trip. 
BEFORE LEAWNG  ONA LONG  TRlP 
Make  sure you’re  ready. Try to  be  well rested. If you  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  of the  journey.  Wear comfortable clothing  and 
shoes  you can easily  drive  in. 
.3 
I 
F i ! u 
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 
Cadillac dealerships  all  across North America.  They’ll be ready  and 
7 
willing  to help if you  need  it. -1 
Here  are  some things  you  can check  before  a trip: 
Windshield  Washer  Fluid: Is the  reservoir  full? Are all  windows  clean 
inside  and  outside? 
Wiper  Blades: Are they in  good  shape? 
0 Fuel, Engine  Oil, Other  Fluids:  Have you  checked  all  levels?   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Then  here  are  some tips: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Make  sure  your vehicle  is  well  ventilated, with a comfortably cool 
interior. 
Keep  your eyes  moving.  Scan the road  ahead  and  to  the  sides. Check 
your rearview  mirrors frequently  and your  instruments  from  time to 
time.  This can help  you  avoid a fixed  stare. 
1 
U 
I' 
Wear good sunglasses  in bright  light. Glare  can cause  drowsiness.  But -- 
don't wear sunglasses  at night. They will  drastically  reduce your - 
overall  vision at  the very time you need  all the  seeing power  you have. 
If  you  get sleepy,  pull  off the  road  into  a  rest, service,  or parking  area 
and  take  a  nap,  get some  exercise,  or  both. For safety,  treat drowsiness 
on  the  highway  as  an emergency. 
Pl 
As in any  driving  situation,  keep  pace with traffic and  allow adequate 
following  distances. 
HILL AND MOUNTMN ROADS 
r 
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different  from driving  in flat or 
rolling  terrain. 
n 
i 
198   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION: 
Snow can  trap  exhaust  gases under  your vehicle.  This  can  cause 
deadly  CO  (carbon  monoxide) gas  to get inside. CO could 
overcome  you  and kill you.  You can’t  see it  or  smell  it, 
so you 
might  not know  it is  in  your  vehicle.  Clear away  snow  from 
around  the  base 
of your  vehicle , especially  any that  is blocking 
your  exhaust  pipe.  And check around  again  from  time  to  time  to 
be  sure  snow  doesn’t  collect  there. 
Open  a  window  just a  little  on  the  side 
of the vehicle  that’s away 
from  the wind.  This will help  keep  CO out. 
Run  your  engine  only as long as  you must.  This saves  fuel.  When  you run 
the  engine,  make  it  go a  little  faster  than  just  idle. That  is, push  the 
accelerator  slightly. This uses less  fuel  for the  heat  that  you get and it 
keeps  the battery  charged.  You 
will need  a well-charged  battery to  restart 
the  vehicle,  and possibly  for signaling  later 
on with your headlights.  Let 
the  heater  run for awhile. 
207 
Then,  shut  the  engine off and  close  the window  almost all the  way  to 
preserve  the  heat.  Start  the  engine  again and repeat  this only  when  you 
feel  really  uncomfortable  from  the cold.  But 
do it as little as possible. 
Preserve  the fuel  as long as  you can.  To help  keep  warm, you can get  out   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Safety Chains 
You should  always attach chains between your vehicle and your  trailer. 
Cross  the safety chains  under  the  tongue 
of the trailer so that  the  tongue 
will  not drop  to  the  road if it becomes  separated  from the hitch. 
Instructions  about  safety chains may be provided  by the  hitch 
manufacturer  or  by the  trailer  manufacturer.  Follow the manufacturer’s 
recommendation  for  attaching safety chains.  Always leave just  enough 
slack 
so you  can turn  with  your  rig. And,  never  allow  safety  chains to drag 
on  the  ground. 
- 
,- 
Trailer  Brakes 
If your  trailer  weighs  more  than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded,  then  it 
needs  its 
own brakes -- and they  must  be  adequate.  Be sure  to  read  and 
follow  the instructions  for  the  trailer  brakes 
so you’ll  be able to install, 
adjust  and  maintain  them  properly. 
Because 
you have  anti-lock brakes,  don’t  try to tap  into  your  vehicle’s 
brake  system.  If  you do,  both  brake  systems  won’t  work  well,  or  at all. 
Driving  with a Trailer 
Towing  a  trailer  requires  a  certain  amount of experience. Before  setting 
out  for  the  open  road,  you’ll want to get  to know  your rig. Acquaint 
yourself  with  the feel  of handling  and braking  with the  added  weight of 
the  trailer.  And always  keep 
in mind that  the  vehicle  you  are driving  is 
now  a good  deal longer and  not nearly 
so responsive as your  vehicle is  by 
itself. 
- 
Before you start,  check  the  trailer  hitch and platform,  safety chains, .. 
electrical  connector,  lights, tires and  mirror  adjustment. If the  trailer  has 
electric  brakes, start your  vehicle  and trailer  moving  and then  apply the 
trailer  brake  controller  by hand  to  be  sure  the  brakes  are  working. This 
lets  you  check your electrical connection  at  the  same time. 
During  your trip, check  occasionally  to  be  sure that  the load 
is secure, 
and  that  the  lights and  any trailer  brakes  are still  working. 
212   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine - Following Distance 
Stay at least  twice  as far  behind  the vehicle  ahead as you  would  when 
driving  your vehicle  without  a  trailer.  This  can help  you  avoid  situations 
- that  require  heavy braking  and  sudden  turns. 
Passing 
I_ 
You’ll need  more  passing distance  up  ahead  when  you’re  towing  a trailer. 
And,  because  you’re a good  deal longer,  you’ll need  to  go much  farther 
beyond  the passed  vehicle  before you can  return  to  your lane. 
- 
Backing Up 
_- Hold the  bottom  of the  steering  wheel  with  one hand.  Then, to move  the 
trailer  to  the left, just  move that  hand  to  the  left. 
To move the trailer  to 
the  right,  move  your hand 
to the right.  Always  back up slowly  and, if 
- possible,  have someone  guide you. 
Making  Turns 
When you’re  turning  with a trailer,  make wider  turns  than  normal. Do 
this so your trailer  won’t strike soft  shoulders,  curbs, road signs,  trees,  or 
other  objects.  Avoid  jerky or  sudden  maneuvers.  Signal  well  in  advance. 
1urn Signals When Towing  a Trailer 
When  you  tow  a trailer,  your vehicle  has to have  a different  turn signal 
flasher  and  extra  wiring. The  green  arrows on your  instrument  panel  will 
flash  whenever  you  signal  a turn  or  lane change. Properly  hooked  up,  the 
trailer  lights  will  also  flash, telling  other drivers  you’re  about  to  turn, - 
- change  lanes or stop. 
213 
When  towing  a trailer,  the green  arrows  on your  instrument  panel  will 
flash  for  turns  even 
if the bulbs  on  the  trailer are  burned  out.  Thus, you 
may  think  drivers  behind  you are seeing your  signal when they are  not. 
It’s  important  to  check  occasionally  to  be  sure  the trailer bulbs are still 
working. p__-_.