1995 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving 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.
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Drive defensively. Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror
to reduce the
glare
from headlamps 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
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
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
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps.
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 headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.
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 headlamps 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 headlamps 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
surfxe may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge
of the road, and even
people walking.
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment in good shape
and keep your windshield washer tank filled. Replace
your windshield wiper inserts when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or when
strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts. Driving too fast through
large water puddles or even
going through some car washes
can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before
you hit them.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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0 Turn on your low-beam headlamps -- not just your
parking lamps
-- to help make you more visible to
others.
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.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
“Tires”
in the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City 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.
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 part, “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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic
flow.
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.
Before changing lanes, check your 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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move
to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back
up. Drive on to the
next 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.
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 Chevrolet dealers
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:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lanzps: Are they all working‘? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the 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?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 thnn n second, and you could crash and be
inj wed.
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 and
your
instruments frequently.
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.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
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