1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 brak\
ing by shifting
to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to s\
lide. You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues-such as enough water, ice or packed sno\
w on the
road to make a “mirrored sutface”-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
AN450006
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired-by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive (See “Drunken Driving” in the Index for more on
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from he\
adlights
this problem.)
behind you.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down an\
d keep more space between you and other vehicles. It’s hard to tel\
l 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.
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 su\
nglasses. 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 inv\
isible 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 t\
he road. But be sure to remove your sunglasses before you leave the service area.
You 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.
High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on, signal by \
flicking yours
to high and then back to low beam. This is the usual signal \
to lower the
headlight beams.
If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams, resist the
temptation to put your high beams on. This only makes
two half-blinded
drivers.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine On a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas where you won’t
impair approaching drivers, In some places, like cities, using high beams is
illegal.
When you follow another vehicle on a freeway or highway, use
low beams.
True, most vehicles now have day-night mirrors that enable the \
driver to reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not of this type and hi\
gh beams from
behind can bother the driver ahead.
A Few More Night Driving Suggestions
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle clean-i\
nside and out.
Glare at night is made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside
of
the glass can build up a film caused by dust. Tobacco smoke also makes
inside glass surfaces very filmy and can be a vision hazard
if it’s left there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and flash more than clean glas\
s would,
making the pupils
of your eyes contract repeatedly. You might even want to
keep a cloth and some glass cleaner in your vehicle if you need to clean
your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights light up far less of a roadway when you are
in a turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly lighted objects.
Just as your headlights should be checked regularly for proper \
aim,
so should
your eyes be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night\
blindness-the inability to see in dim light-and aren’t even aware of it.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and #he Road
Driving in the Rain
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Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet road y\
ou 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 sutface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes a\
re 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 I
AM455019
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even going thr\
ough some car
washes can cause problems
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to
avoid puddles. But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
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 puddle of water or a car wash, apply
your brake pedal lightly until your brakes work normally.
I
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I
Hydropraning
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 going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has
little or no contact with the road.
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 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,
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s s\
urface, 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
Turn on your headlights-not just your parking lights-to help ma\
ke 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 be\
tter 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
I ~
AN459007
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 ieduced 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 y\
ou 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. 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. Use your fog lights
if your vehicle has them.
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. Ru\
n your
windshield wipers and washer occasionally. Moisture can build up\
on the outside glass, and what seems to be fog may actually be moist\
ure 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 traffi\
c.
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.
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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.
City Driving
AM460005
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:
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e
e
e
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-county trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most large cities. You’ll
save time and energy. (See the next section, “Freeway Drivi\
ng.”)
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.
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 y\
ou see
or hear emergency vehicles.
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