1993 CHEVROLET TRACKER turn signal

Y
REVERSIBLE
LANE ON ROADWAY
MULTI-LANE
Many
city roads and expressways, and
zven bridges,
use reversible-lane traffic
:ontrol 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
these systems are in effect.
NO PASSING ZONE
Pavement Markings
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
xoss. ”
Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not
only more polite, it’s safer to let other
drivers know what you are doing. And
in some places the law requires driver
signals.
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.
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Never cross a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the
vehicle you want to pass isn’t aware
of your presence, tap the horn a
couple of times before passing. Or, if
your Geo has the Passing Signal
option, you can use that. See
“Passing Signal” in the Index.
Do not get too close to the vehicle
you want to pass while you’re
awaiting
an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if
you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space
if the vehicle ahead suddenly slows or
stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start
to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too
close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes
to
move into the other lane. If the way is
clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes
up for the distance you would lose by
dropping back. And if something
happens to cause you to cancel your
pass, you need only slow down and
drop back again and wait for another
opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over
your shoulder and check the blind
spot.
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 convex. The vehicle
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Because you will be on an unpaved
I
surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden turns,
or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a
different kind
of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights. You have to use your own
good judgment about what is safe and
what isn’t.
I CAUTION
’ Drinking and driving can be
- very dangerous on any road.
And this is certainly true for
off-road driving. At the very time
you need special alertness and
driving skills, your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount
of
alcohol. You could have a serious
- or even fatal - accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a
driver who has been drinking. (See
“Drunken Driving” in the Index.)
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up,
down, or across a hill. Driving safely on
hills requires good judgment and an
understanding of what your vehicle can
and can’t do. There are some hills that
simply can’t be driven, no matter how
well built the vehicle.
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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.
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
I
*. ’ i
... 160
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
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. 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.
I A 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.
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Your Driving and the Road
H City Dnving
... 164
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.
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.
clear of intersections when you see or
hear emergency vehicles.
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 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.
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
165-
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Your Driving and the Road
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.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
... 166
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 deceleration
lanes are long enough
- some are too
short for all the 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 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. 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 km/h)
might seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h).
Obviously, this could lead to serious
trouble
on a ramp designed for
20 mph (30 km/h)!
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