1993 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine While driving on a surface with reduced
traction,
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting
to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires
to slide. 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 snow on
the road
to make a “mirrored
surface”-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
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 the index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
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.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
‘I
Night Wsion
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase. A SO-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
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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.
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.
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 high beams from behind can
bother the driver ahead.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A Few More Night Driving
Suggestions
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle clean-inside 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 glass 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.
Driving in the Rain
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Driving in the Rain (CONT:)
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
2quipment 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.
I
Driving too fast through large water
puddles or even going through 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
werl in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could. lose
control of the vehicle.
After driving though a large
puddle
of water or a car wash,
apply your brake pedal lightly until
your
brakes work normally.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hydroplaning
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, 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
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
the Index under fires.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Your Driving and the Road
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
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.
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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.
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

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine something between you and moving
vehicles-space, trees, telephone poles,
a private driveway, anything that
removes you from other traffic.
zf 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.
City Driving
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:
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.
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.
clear
of intersections when you see or
hear emergency vehicles.
Obey all posted speed limits. But
Pull to the right (with care) and stop
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Freeway Driving
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.
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.
Driving on fhe 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. If you are
on a three-lane freeway, treat the right
lane as the slower-speed through lane,
the middle lane as the higher-speed
through lane, and
the left lane as the
passing lane.
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.
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