1993 GMC SIERRA Owners Manual

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KEEP LEFT OR RIGHT TURN
RIGHT THROUGH ONLY
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RECTANGULAR (square or oblong) signs
show speed limits, parking
regulations, give directions, and such information as distances
to cities.
Symbols on Road Sjgns
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There are many international road signs in use today.
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.
NO U
TURN NO
PARKING NO BICYCLES
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Your Driving and the Road
Traffic Lights
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We’re all familiar with traffic lights or stop lights. Often, green arrow\
s 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 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.
I
/
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r
REVERSIBLE
LANE ON
ROADWAY MULTI-LANE

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Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use reversib\
le-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 these
systems are in effect.
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Pavement Markings
NO PASSING ZONE
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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, 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.
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 Flasher” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important informaaon. 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 e\
ncounter.
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Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defens\
ively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: 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 fol\
lowed 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 there 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 must 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
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in
front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about defensive driving. The most dangerous
time for driving in the
US. is very early on Sunday morning. In fact, GM
Research studies show that the most and the least dangerous times for
driving, every week, fall on the same day. That day is Sunday. The most
dangerous time is Sunday
3 a.m. to 4 a.m. The safest time is Sunday from
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a Sunday at 3 a.m. isn’t
just a little more dangerous than it
is at 10 a.m. It’s about 134 times more
dangerous.
That leads to the next part.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It’s
the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of
victims every year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone\
needs to
drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that half of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol-a driver, a passenger or someone else, such as a pedes\
trian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. Over
25,000 motor vehicle-related deaths occur
each year because of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is too much
if a person plans to drive? Ideally, no
one should drink alcohol and then drive. But
if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can be a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem.
The
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon\

four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol.
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Your Driving and the Road
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According to the American Medical Association, a 180-pound (82 kg) person
who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up
with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC
by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks
if
each had 1-112 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank
three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the
person’s BAC would be close
to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food
just before or during drinking
will have a slightly lower BAC level.
DRINKING THAT WILL 8
RESULT IN A BAC
OF ABOUT .05% IN
~ THE TlME SHOWN 6
7
OF DRINKS
NUMBER ’
(as in picture) 4
3
t --
2 1
1 i I
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT
IN POUNDS
I 3 HOURS
I
YOUR
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The law in most U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In
Canada the limit is 0.08 percent, and in some other countries it’s lower than
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that. The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one
hour).
Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the
drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
But it’s very important to keep in mind that the ability to drive is affected well
below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of many
people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects
are worse at night. All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0,05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in an accident increases sharply for
drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level
of
0.06 percent (three beers in one hour for a 180-pound or 82 kg person)
has doubled his or her chance of having an accident. At a BAC level of 0.10
percent, the chance of that driver having an accident is six times greater; at
a level of
0.15 percent, the chances are twenty-five times greater! And, the
body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol in one drink.
No amount
of coffee or number
of cold showers will speed that up.
“1’11 be careful” isn’t the right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need
to take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with a
higher BAC might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that many \
people don’t know. Medical research shows that alcohol in a person’s system can make
crash injuries worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord and heart
injuries. That means that
if anyone who has been drinking-driver or
passenger-is in a crash, the chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than
if that person had not been drinking. And we’ve already seen
that the chance of
a crash itself is higher for drinking drivers.
CAUTION
A Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
- perceptions, and judgment will be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You could have a serious-or even fatal-accident
if you
drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or
if you’re with a
group, designate a driver who will not drink.
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Your Driving and the Road
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go.
They are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator.
All three systems have
to
do their work at the places where the tires meet the road.
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Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s e\
asy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and road can provide. Tha\
t means you can
lose control of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception
time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 314 of a second. But that’s only an average.
It might be less with one driver and as long as two or thre\
e seconds or
more with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordinati\
on, and
eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4
of a second, a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot
of distance in an emergency, so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly with the surface of the
road (whether it’s pavement or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry,
icy): tire tread; and the condition of your brakes,
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