1997 CADILLAC ELDORADO Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. . . .t
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 dlmly
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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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 windshield wiping equipment
in
good shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled
with washer
fluid. 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.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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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Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes
work normally.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 do not have 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.
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NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through
water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t
avoid deep puddles ~r standing water, drive
through them very ~llowlgr.
e 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.
“Tires”
in the Index.)
@ Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .. . t. . :.
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:
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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 comer is busy enough to
need
it. When a light turns green, and just.before yo[
start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection
or may be running the
red light.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 trafl5c.
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.

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.
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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
Cadillac 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:
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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?