1993 PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX turn signal

I..
Your Driving and the Road
Roadsigns
The road signs you see everywhere are
coded
by color, shape and symbols. It’s
a good idea to know these codes so that
you can quickly grasp the basic meaning
or intent of the sign even before you
have a chance to read it.
STOP DO NOT WRONG
ENTER WAY
Color of Road Signs
Red means Stop. It may also indicate
that some movement is not allowed.
Examples are
Do Not Enter, Wrong
Way, or No Parking.
Green is used to guide the driver. Green
signs may indicate upcoming freeway
exits or show the direction you should
turn to reach a particular place.
RR ADVANCE NARROW NO PASSING CROSSING BRIDGE ZONE
Yellow indicates a general warning.
Slow down and be careful when you see
a yellow sign. It may signal a railroad
crossing ahead, a no passing zone, or
some other potentially dangerous
situation. Likewise, a yellow solid line
painted on the road means
Don’t Cross.
HOSPITAL INFORMATION
Blue signs with white letters show
motorists’ services.
ProCarManuals.com

REVERSIBLE LANE ON MULTILANE ROADWAY
Many city roads and expressways, and
even bridges, use reversible-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.
I
I
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
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 the
Index under Hazard
Warning Flashers.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source
of important information. The officer’s
signals govern, no matter what the
traffic lights
or other signs say.
The next section discusses some of the
road conditions you
may encounter.
141
ProCarManuals.com

Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines.
If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
pass. A broken center line usually
indicates it’s all right tdpass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
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,
you can use flash-to-pass. See the
Index under Flash-to-Pass.
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.
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.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
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
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.
Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
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.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
ProCarManuals.com

A Few More Might 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
pur 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 male it harder to
see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the
edge
of the road, and even people
ProCarManuals.com

If 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.
Cify 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.
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
I
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
4
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.
164
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
make sure there isn’t another vehicle in
your “blind” spot.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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 Wh)
might seem like only
20 mph (30 ldh) .
Obviously, this could lead to serious
trouble on
a ramp designed for 20 mph
(30 lun/h) !
L
ProCarManuals.com

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 lm) 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.
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.
ProCarManuals.com