1994 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD Owners Manual

system is on, adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the 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.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a
car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or
a child darts out from between
parked cars and stops right in front
of you. You can avoid these problems
by braking
-- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-- steering around the problem.
Your Cadillac can perform very
well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left
or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If
you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock
positions, you can turn it
a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly
straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object.
180
i 7‘
L
1
n
1
Lil
c3
I
I

The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good
reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts
properly.
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 114 turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight
down the roadway.
181

I
I
OFF. ROAD: RECOVERY
LEFT APPROX. OUARTERTURN
SLOW DOWN
edge of paved surface
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 vehicle .ahead,
then goes back into the right lane again.
A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane highway is a
potentially dangerous move, since the passing vehiclepccupies
the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly put
the passing driver face
to face with the worst of all traffic accidents -- the
I
1 head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
.@ “Drive ahead3Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads
for situations that might affect your passing patterns. If you have any
doubt whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch for traffic signs, p.avement 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 to pass
(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.
ai
-1

c-
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 b.ack 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.
take care thatsomeone 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 you just passed may seem to be farther away from
you than it really is.)
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving 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.
183

LOSS OF CONTROL
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have 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 steer and 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 possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Cadillac’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 is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid only the acceleration
skid.
If your traction control system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the accelerator pedal and
quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering
quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
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 limited.
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
184
tl
a, i‘
c4’ I,
0 !
t

slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as enough water, ice or
packed snow on the road to make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
DRZWNG AT NIGHT
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason is that
some drivers are likely to be impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night
vision problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0
0
0
0
0
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
185

0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and rest.
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.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It can take 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.
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. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would, making the pupils
of
your eyes contract repeatedly.
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.
186
c3
I

187