1993 PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX lights

Your Driving and the Road
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase.
A 50-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.
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Eyes 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 tale 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.
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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
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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 Tires.)
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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
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probably thickening. Slow down to give
traffic behind you a chance to slow
down.
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. Use your fog lights.
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
something between you and moving
vehicles-space, trees, telephone poles,
a private driveway, anything that
removes you from other traffic.
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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
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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) !
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Your Driving and the Road
Drkjng a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are
made on freeways, there are still many
made
on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and
reguIar highways is the same in some
ways. The trip has to be planned and
the vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are
longer turns behind the wheel. You’ll
enjoy your trip more if you and your
vehicle are in good shape. Here are
some tips for a successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh-such as after a day’s work-
don’t plan to make too many miles that
first part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to go. If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Pontiac dealerships all across
North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it. Here
are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
shape?
Have you checked all levels?
lenses clean? safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated to
the recommended pressure?
weather outlook along your route?
Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
Tires: They are vitally important to a
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
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Your Driving and the Road
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
(COW.)
Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When you run
the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the
accelerator slightly. This uses less fuel
for the heat that you get and it keeps
the battery charged.
You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the
vehicle and possibly for signaling later
on with your headlights. Let the
heater run for
a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close
the window almost all the way to
preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. But do it as little as possible.
Preserve the fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get out of
the vehicle and do some fairly
vigorous exercises every half-hour or
so until help comes.
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If You’re Stuck h Deep Snow
This manual explains how to get the
vehicle out
of deep snow without
damaging it. See the index under
Rocking Your Vehicle.
Towing a Trailer
CAUTlON
f
A
If you don’t use the correct
equipment and drive
properly, you can lose control whf
you pull a trailer. For example, if
the trailer is too heavy, the brakes
may not work well-or even at all
You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all the steps in
this section.
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result
in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty.
To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice
in this
section.
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