1996 GMC SIERRA ESP

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
@ Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I'm wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even
if you're upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you-can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
e.' If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use
of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have
to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
wear safety belts?
i or the safety belts!
~ With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
~ You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
1 and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
1 safety belts make such good sense.
i
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In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle of
the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication
of this.
The air bag
system is designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving”
in the Index for more tips on off-road driving.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that
the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers
a chemical reaction of the sodium azide
sealed
in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag module
packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering
wheel.
The air bag supplements the protection provided by
safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually. But air bags would
not
help you in many types of collisions, including
rollovers, rear impacts and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag.
Air bags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement
to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components
of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub will be hot for a short time. The
part of the bag that comes into contact with you
may be
warm, but
it will never be too hot to touch. There will be
some smoke and dust coming from vents
in the deflated
air bag.
Air bag inflation will not prevent the driver
from seeing or from being able
to steer the vehicle, nor
will it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
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~ Door Locks There
are several ways to lock and .unlock your vehicle. I
I
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down or stop your vehicle.
This may not be so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you
will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or the Keyless Entry
System, if.your vehicle has this option.
To lock the door from the
inside, slide the lever
on
your door down.
To unlock the door, slide the lever up.
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To replace the batteries: rheft
1. Insert a dime in the side seam of the transmitter
housing, near
the key ring hole.
2. Twist the dime to separate the two halves of the
transmitter housing. Separate the housing, bottom
half first.
3. Remove and replace the batteries. Put the new
batteries
in with the printed side down.
4. Align the housing and snap the halves together. Vehicle theft is big business, especially
in some cities.
Although your vehicle has
a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing
we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do
it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a tone reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take
it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel
will be locked, and so will your
ignition.
If you have an automatic transmission, taking
your key out also locks
your transmission. And
remember to lock
the doors.
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Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The
DRL system will make your headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when:
the ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off, and
the parking brake is released.
When the
DRL are on, only your headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either. When
it begins to get dark, your DRL indicator light
is a
reminder to turn your headlamp switch on. The
other lamps that
come on with your headlamps will
also come on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off, and your headlamps
will change to
the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake.
The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when
you need it.
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Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere
with FM signals, causing
the sound
to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations
to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up
noise from things like storms and power line?. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control
on your radio to a safe
sound level before
your hearing adapts to it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
0 Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what you want.
If you can, it’s very important
to do it properly, Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation
af your vehicle’s
engine, Delco radio
or other systems, and even
damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation
of sound equipment
that has been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units,
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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 even a moderate 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, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person‘s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had
not been drinking.
A CAUTION: I
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have
a serious -- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don’t drink and drive
or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in
a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.
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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:
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, wa~t
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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