1993 CHEVROLET ASTRO PASSENGER lights

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Features & Cantmls
Daytime Running Lights (DRL) Indicator Light (Canadian Vehicles Only)
The DRL indicator is on whenever the ignition and the headlight switch and
parking brake are
off. For more details about DRL, see "Lights" in this part.
The DRL indicator light is on the lower left of the standard cluster. If you
have the digital cluster, it is on the top left.
Headlight High Beam Indicator Light
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The high beam indicator is on whenever you use your high beam headlights.
For more details, see "Headlight High-Low Beam Changer" in this part. The
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Symbols on Road Signs
There are many international road signs in use today.
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The basic message of many of these signs is in pictures or graphic symbols.
A picture within a circle with a diagonal line across it shows what NOT to do.
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Traffic Lights
We’re all familiar with traffic lights or stoplights. Often, green arrows \
are being
used in the lights for improved traffic control. On some multilane road\
s, green
arrows light up, indicating that traffic in one or more lanes can move or make
a turn. Green arrows don’t mean “go no matter what”.
You’ll still need to
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine proceed with caution, yielding the right of way to pedestrians and sometimes
to other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red arrows
to signify that you must stop before
turning on red.
Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use reversible-lane
traffic control during rush hours.
A red X light above a lane means no driving
in that lane at that time.
A green arrow means you may drive in that lane.
Look for the signs posted to warn drivers what hours and days thes\
e
systems are in effect.
REVERSlbLE
LANE ON
MULTI-LANE
ROADWAY
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Pavement Markings
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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 more polite, i\
t’s safer to let other
drivers know what you are doing. And in some places the law requires driver
signals.
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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 sig\
ns say.
The next part discusses some of the road conditions you may encounter.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defens\
ively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your vehic\
le: Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts in the Index.”)
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 carel\
ess 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.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot where t\
here are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows, and designated parking are\
as, expect
some drivers to ignore all these markings and dash straight to\
ward one part
of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general, you m\
ust 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 following distance.
It’s the best defensive driving
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see the road ahead of
you because
it bends away from the straight beams of your lights. This is
one good reason to drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braki\
ng. For
example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a
car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by
braking-if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room.
That’s the time for evasive action-steering around the proble\
m.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes.
It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision.
Then steer around the problem,
to the left or right depending on the space
available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision.
If you
are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions,
you can turn
it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the
wheel once you have avoided the object. You must then be prepared
to steer
back to your original lane and then brake to a controlled stop.
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0
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 c\
onvex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem
to be further away from you than it
really
is.)
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.
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 whe\
n the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t ha\
ve 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 possib\
le.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’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 foo\
t
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
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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
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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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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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