
Driving 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
:ips for a successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
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.
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 Chevrolet dealerships all across North
America. They’ll be ready and willing to
help
if you need it. Here
are some things you can check
before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir
full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
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Your Driving and the Road
m.. 164
0 Weather Forecasts: What’s the
weather outlook along
your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
0 Maps: Do you have up-to-date
maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good
to share the driving task
with others.
Limit turns behind the wheel to about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a
sitting. Then, either change drivers or stop
for some refreshment like coffee, tea or
soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do
stop and move around. Eat lightly along
the way. Heavier meals tend to make
some people sleepy. On two-lane highways
or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for some situations not usually found on
freeways. Examples are: stop signs and
signals, shopping centers
with direct
access to the highway, no passing zones
and school zones, vehicles turning left
and right off the road, pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even
animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or
is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call
it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road
with the same scenery, along with
the hum of the tires on the road, the drone
of the engine, and the rush
of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you
sleepy. Don’t let
it happen to you! If it
does, your vehicle can leave the road in
less than a second, and you could crash
and be injured.
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What can you do about highway
hypnosis'? First, be aware that
it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
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. 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.
As in any driving situation. keep pace
with traffic and allow adequate following
distances.
Hill and Mountain
Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain. If you drive regularly
in steep
country. or
if you're planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
0 Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work
hard on mountain roads.
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Your Driving and the Road
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Chevrolet in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow, but
they may give
you less traction on ice
than regular tires.
If you do not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may
have to travel over ice, you may not
want to switch
to snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush
or broom, a supply
of windshield
washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight, a
red cloth, and a couple
of reflective
warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of
old carpet or
a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your
vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your
tires meet
the road probably have good
traction.
However, if
there is snow or ice between
your tires and the road, you can have a
very slippery situation. You’ll have a lot
less traction or “grip” and will need to
be
very careful.
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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.
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
3f the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous
zxercises every half hour or
so until help
Zomes.
If You're Stuck in Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the
vehicle
out of deep snow without
damaging it. See "Rocking Your Vehicle"
in the Index.
Towing a Trailer
you can lose control when you pull
a trailer. For example, if the trailer is
too heavy, the brakes may not work
well - or even at all. You and your
passengers could be seriously
injured. Pull a trailer only if you
have followed all the steps in this
section.
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Your Driving and the Road
178
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.
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
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.
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Turn 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.
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.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If
you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating. If you
are towing a trailer and you
have an automatic transmission with
Overdrive, you may prefer to drive
in D
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to,
a lower gear). Or, if you have a manual
transmission
with fifth (or sixth) gear
and you are towing a trailer, it’s better
not to use
fifth (or sixth) gear. Just drive
in fourth gear (fifth gear
if you have
a six-speed manual transmission)
(or, as you need to, a lower gear.
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Problems on the Road
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Hazard Warning
Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights
will flash on and off.
Press the button in to make your fronl and
rear
turn signal lights flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key
is in, and
even
if the key isn‘t in.
To turn off the flashers. pull out on the
collar.
When the hazard warning tlashers are on,
your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry retlective triangles, you can
set one
up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m> behind your vehicle.
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