1994 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN steering

Your Driving and the Road
Section
1
Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads and in
varying weather conditions
. We’ve also included many other useful tips on
driving .
.............................. 4-2
Defensive Driving ..........
DrunkenDriving ........................................... 4-2
Control
of a Vehicle
Braking
... ........................................... 4-5
Steering
................................................ 4-7
Steering Tips
............................................ 4-7
Off-Road Recovery
...................................... 4-9
Passing
................................................ 4-9
LossofControl
......................................... 4-10
Off-Road Driving With Your Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
.......... 4-12
DrivingatNight
........................................... 4-23
Driving
in the Rain ........................................ 4-24
CityDriving
.............................................. 4-26
Freeway Driving
.......................................... 4-27
Hill and Mountain Roads
.................................... 4-29
Winter Driving
............................................ 4-30
Powerwinches
........................................... 4-34
PowerTake-Off(PT0)
..................................... 4-34
Towing a Trailer
........................................... 4-36
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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.
“I’ll 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.
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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Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need to get your foot up
to the brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle in front of you, you
won’t have time
to apply your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
To Use Four-wheel Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you. You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some
noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-lock, you
can steer and brake at the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help you more than even the very best braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine stops or the system is
not functioning, you can steer but it will take much more effort.
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 the 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 suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
- steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Adding
the sudden acceleration
can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.
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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 vehicle 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.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is ii good reason
to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly.
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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.
I 1. Edge of Road
Surface
2. Slow Down
3. Left Approx.
Quarter Turn
4. Recover
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 vehicle occupies 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
head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look 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.
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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 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.
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.
If other cars are lined up to pass a 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.
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
if 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.
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.
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.
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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 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 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 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.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a utility vehicle in
Consumer Information Regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States Department of
Transportation. Utility vehicles have higher ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteristics give them
a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars.
An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a
better view of the road allowing you to anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional 2-wheel drive
vehicles any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers. As
with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some
things to keep in mind. At higher speeds:
you approach things faster and you have less time to scan the terrain for
you have less time to react.
obstacles.
0 you
have more vehicle bounce when you drive over obstacles.
0 you'll need more distance for braking, especially since you're on an
unpaved surface.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds of terrain. You
need
to be familiar with the terrain and its many different features. Here are
some things
to consider.
Surface Conditions. Off-roading can take you over hard-packed dirt,
gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud,
snow or ice. Each of these surfaces affects
the steering, acceleration, and braking
of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you are on, you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration, poor traction, and
longer braking distances.
Surface Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be hazardous. A rock,
log, hole,
rut, or bump can startle you if you're not prepared for them. Often
these obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
0 Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There's more discussion
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction quickly?
of 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.
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