1993 GMC SIERRA light

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
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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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Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some, however, overw\
ork the
braking system with poor driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts-heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking-rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is
a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster
if you do a
lot of heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest\
lightly on the brake
pedal while driving.
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AM410001
CAUTION I
1 “Riding” your brakes can cause them to overheat to the point that
- they won’t work well. You might not be able to stop your vehicle in
time to avoid an accident. If you “ride” your brakes, they will get
so
hot they will require a lot of pedal force to slow you down. Avoid
“riding” the brakes.
NOTICE
“Riding” the brakes wears them out much faster. You would need costly
brake replacement much sooner than normal. and it also reduces fuel
economv.
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Your Driving and fhe Road
Brake System Warning Light
K2325
This light appears on your instrument cluster to warn you if your regular
braking’ system needs service. See “Brake System Warning L\
ight” in the
Index.
Disc Brake Wear Indicators
If you have a C 3500 HD Model, it has four-wheel disc brakes. Disc brake
pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched war\
ning sound
when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. The so\
und m’ay
come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except \
when
you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
1 CAUTION
The brake wear warning sound means that sooner or later your
hear the brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle serviced. \
5 brakes won’t work well. That could lead to an accident. When you I ~
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brakes are first applied or lightly applied. This does not mea\
n something is
wrong with your brakes.
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Your Driving and the Road
Steering Tips Driving
on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on the news \
happen on
curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to the same laws
of
physics when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road
surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in
the same direction.
If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on me condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked,\
and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then you sudd\
enly apply the
brakes. Both control systems-steering and braking-have to
do their work
where the tires meet the road. Adding the hard braking can de\
mand too
much at those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen
if you’re steering through a sharp curve and you
suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems-steering and
acceleration-can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and
make you lose control.
What should you
do if this ever happens? Let up on the brake or accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to
go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your\
speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you
enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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.
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Your Drivm - and the Road.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find. sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of
a road onto the shoulder while you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery
should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in
the way, steer
'so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to
1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the
roadway.
AM428003
If the shoulder appears to be about four inches (100 mm) or more below the
pavement, this difference can .cause problems.
If there is not enough room to
pull entirely onto the shoulder and stop, then follow the same proc\
edures. But
if the right front tire scrubs against the side of the pavement, do NOT steer
more sharply. With
too much steering angle, the vehicle may jump back onto
the road with
so much steering input that it crosses over .into the oncoming
traffic before you can bring
it back under control.
Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering input, \
straddle the
pavement once more, then
try again.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits
for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicl\
e ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
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Your Driving and the Road
the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is c\
onvex. The
vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you \
than
it
really is).
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
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 steel+-, arid 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 ea\
sing 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 foot off the
accelerator pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle start to sl\
ide. 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
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limit\
ed.
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 slid\
e. You
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Your Driving and the Road
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s more \
discussion of
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly? these subjects later.)
When you drive over obstacles
or rough terrain, keep a firm grip on the
steering wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface features can jerk the wheel
out of your hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles, your whe\
els can leave
the ground.
If this happens, even with one or two wheels, you can’t contro\
l
the vehicle as well
or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved 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 spee\
d limits
or
signal lights. You have to use your own good judgment about what is safe
and what isn’t.
* Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any road. And this is I
1 certainly true for off-road driving. At the very time you need special
alertness and driving skills, your reflexes, perceptions and jud\
gment
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.
A, Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If you drive up them,
- IOU will stall. If you drive down them, you can’t control your speed. If
you drive across them, you will roll over. You could be seriously
injured or killed.
If you have any doubt about the steepness, don’t
drive the hill.
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