
Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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: 
0 “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. 
0 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. 
0 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. 
0 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. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine a 
0 
a 
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. 
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. 
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 Chevrolet’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. 
If you  have the  ASR system, remember:  It helps avoid 
only the acceleration  skid. 
If  you  do 
not have ASR,  or if  the  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. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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  Rain a I Wet 
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. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine S’ity Dr: Here are ways  to increase your safety in city driving: 
0 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. 
0 Try  to use the freeways  that rim and  crisscross most 
large cities.  You’ll save time and energy.  (See the 
next part, “Freeway Driving.”) 
0 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. 
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. 
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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. 
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. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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  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: 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
0 
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?   

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Highway  Hypnosis 
Is there  actually  such a condition  as “lughway  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 
0 
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. 
Hill  and Mountain Roads 
Driving on steep  hills  or  mountains is different from 
driving  in flat  or  rolling 
terrain. 
If you  drive  regularly in steep country,  or if you’re 
planning 
to visit there,  here  are  some  tips that can make 
your trips  safer and more  enjoyable. 
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Keep your vehicle  in good shape. Check all fluid 
levels and  also the brakes, tires,  cooling system and 
transmission.  These parts can work hard  on 
mountain  roads. 
0 Know  how to go down hills.  The  most important 
thing 
to know is this:  let your  engine  do some of the 
slowing down.  Shift to 
a lower gear when you  go 
down 
a steep  or  long  hill. 
A CAUTION: 
If you don’t shift  down, your brakes  could  get 
so hot that  they  wouldn’t  work  well.  You  would 
then have poor  braking or even  none  going 
down 
a hill.  You  could  crash. Shift  down to let 
your engine  assist your brakes  on 
a steep 
downhill  slope. 
I 
- - 
Coasting  downhill  in NEUTRAL (N) or  with  the 
ignition 
off is dangerous.  Your  brakes will have  to 
do 
all the  work  of  slowing  down.  They  could  get so 
hot  that  they  wouldn’t  work  well.  You  would  then 
have  poor  braking or even  none  going  down 
a hill. 
You  could  crash.  Always  have  your  engine  running 
and  your  vehicle 
in gear when  you  go  downhill. 
Know  how  to go uphill. You may  want  to shift down 
to  a  lower  gear.  The lower  gears  help  cool  your  engine 
and  transmission,  and  you  can  climb  the  hill  better. 
Stay  in your own  lane when  driving  on two-lane 
roads in  hills 
or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut 
across  the center 
of the road. Drive at speeds that  let 
you  stay in your own lane. 
could  be  something in your  lane, like 
a stalled  car  or 
an accident. 
0 As you go over  the top  of  a  hill,  be alert. There 
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