
Power Outside Mirrors
The power mirror control is
on the driver's door. Turn
the control to the left to
adjust the left mirror or to
the right to adjust the right
mirror. Then move the
control in the direction you
want to move the mirror.
After
you adjust the mirrors, turn the control to the
center position to turn it
off.
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.
A CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are. If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit
a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror
or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Storage Compartments
Glove Box
Use the door key to lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, lift the latch.
Storage Armrest
If you have a bench seat, you will have a storage armrest
in front. To use the storage area, fold down the armrest.
Press the latch
on the front edge and pull up. To use the
cupholder, flip it forward.
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I
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also move them from side to side.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Open the cover to expose the vanity mirror. If your
vehicle has the optional lighted vanity mirrors, the
lamps come
on when you open the cover.
,
Accessory Outlet
If your vehicle has a center console, you have a 12-volt
outlet. It is on the passenger's side, near the floor. Open
the cover to use the outlet.
NOTICE:
Adding some electrical equipment to your vehicle
can damage it or keep other things from working
as they should. This wouldn't be covered by your
warranty. Check with your retailer before adding
electrical equipment and never use anything requiring more than
20 amps.
~~
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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.)
0 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.
0 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
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.
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.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
0 Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
0 Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
glare
from headlamps behind you.
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
0 Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light
up only so much road ahead.
0 In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
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.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old roadway when you
are in a turn or curve. Keep your
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
same thing at night as a ‘20-year-old. lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should
be
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
even aware of it.
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
1
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Freeway Driving 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.
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.
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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.
Hill and Mountain Road’s
Your moving’ Scan the road ahead and to Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently. driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
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.

Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re, towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move your
hand to the right. Always back
up slowly and, if
possible, have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come, in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal. Do this
‘so your trailer won’tstrike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
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