
Front Readinmap Lamps  (Option) Trunk  Lamp 
If your vehicle has a sunroof, it will have a rearview The trunk lamp  comes on when you open your trunk. 
mirror and lamps.  The  lamps go on when you open the 
doors.  When the doors  are  closed, turn the lamps  on  and 
Battery  Rundown  Protection 
off with the switch.  Your Oldsmobile  is equipped  with a Battery Rundown 
Rear  Reading  Lamps  (Option) Protection  feature designed  to  protect  your vehicle's 
battery. 
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These  overhead  lamps and the  interior  courtesy  lamps 
will  come 
on when you open  the  doors. 
To  turn on  a reading  lamp when  the  doors  are  closed, 
press  the button. Press  it again  to turn 
off the  lamp.  When 
any interior  lamp (trunk,  reading,  footwell,  or 
glove  box) is left on when  the ignition is turned off, the 
Battery Rundown Protection  system will automatically 
shut the  lamp off after 
20 minutes.  This will avoid 
draining  the battery. 
To  reactivate the interior  lamps,  either: 
0 The ignition must be turned  on 
0 The activated  lamp switch  must be turned  off and 
then on, 
OR 
0 A front  door  must be opened. 
The  Battery Rundown Protection  feature will also be 
activated when any  door 
of your vehicle is left open.  

Also, if your  vehicle  is left with  the  ignition  turned off 
for over 24 days,  battery  power  to  your  clock,  audio 
system  and  Remote 
Lock Control  (if  you  have  this 
option)  will  be turned 
off to reduce  battery  drain.  When 
the  ignition  is turned  on  again,  battery  power  will 
be 
resupplied.  However,  under  these  conditions,  it  will be 
necessary  to  reset  the  clock  and  audio  system  settings. 
Inside  Manual  Daymight  Rearview  Mirror 
To reduce  glare  from  lights  behind you, move  the  lever 
toward  you  to  the  night  position. 
Convex Outside  Mirror 
Your  passenger’s  side mirror is convex. 
A convex mirror’s surface is curved so you  can see more 
from  the  driver’s  seat. 
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Manual  Remote  Control  Mirrors 
The  outside rearview mirror should  be adjusted so you 
can  just  see the side of your vehicle when  you are sitting 
in  a  comfortable  driving  position. 
Adjust the driver side 
outside  mirror with the 
control  lever  on the 
driver’s door. 
To adjust your passenger  side mirror,  sit in the driver’s 
seat  and have  a passenger  adjust the mirror  for you. 
Power  Remote  Control  Mirrors  (Option) 
This  selector knob 
controls  both outside 
rearview  mirrors.  Select  the mirror 
you 
want to adjust by 
rotating the knob to 
the  left  or right. 
Adjust each mirrof 
SO that yoil can Just see the  side  of 
your vehicle when  you are sitting 
in a comfortable 
driving position. 
Sun  Visors 
To block  out glare,  you can swing  down the visors.  You 
can  also  swing  them to the side. 
Visor Vanity Mirror 
Open the visor cover to  expose the vanity  mirror. 
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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. 
0 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. 
0 Don’t  overtake  a  slowly  moving vehicle too rapidly. 
Even though the  brake  lamps  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. 
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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 
Oldsmobile’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  brake system 
(ABS) helps 
avoid only 
the braking  skid. 
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Driving at Night 0 
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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 Drive  defensively. 
0 Don’t drink and drive. 
0 
0 
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 
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. 
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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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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? 
Lamps: 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? 
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: 
0 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. 
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