1998 CHEVROLET S10 Owners Manual

.* ....... . , .. . , .,,. .. , fl
Wet brakes can. came accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick:stop and: may cause pulling to
one aide. Yau c.ould lose: control of the vehi-cle..
After driving through a- large puddle .of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal-lightly .until
your brakes work normally.
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I NOTICE:
If yon drive’ too qsri;ckly through ,dee.p puddres or
standing water, water canwme: in through yaur
engine’s-air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive thrbugh water that i-s.sl;ightly
lower than the-underbdy
of y0~ vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep. puddles or. standing ~. , water, drive
through them very .slowly.
..
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
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Here are ways to increase your safety in city :driving:
a
a
One- of th.e biggest problem$. with city :streets is the
amount of traffic un them. Y0u’Il wantto watch out fa1
-what the other drivers are doing :and pay attention to
traffic-si‘gnzls-*
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also cal1e.d thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superlughways) &,e the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
1~ most-important-.advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with dfic and keep to- the right. Rrive at the same
speed most of the other idrivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving bredcs a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
At the.eatrance, 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, che.ck
your mirrors and glance over
your shoulder as often as
necess-ary. Try to b1en.d smoothly with the tra€fic.. flow.
Once- you are on the fi-eeway, adjust: your speed,to the
posted lhnit-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 wmt to leave. the -freeway, move tQ the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, .do not,
under my circumstances, stop and backup. Drive
on to
the
next exit.
The .exit
ramp can. be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
left
lane on a freeway as..a passing lane.
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Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is
it just plain falling a~leep 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 ofthe tises.on the
mad, the drone of the-engine, and the rush-of the wind
against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don7 let it
happen to you ! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in
Z-ess .than u ~secand, and you could :crash
-and be injured.
Make sure your vehickis well ventilated, with a
comf-ortably cool interior.
0. Keep your ey.es moving. Scan the road ahead
and. to the sides. Check your mirrors and^ your
imitruments frequently.
If you :get sleepy, pull off the road, into a rest, service
or padiing area and take -a nap, get s.ome exercise, or
bo.th. Far safety, treat .drows.iness: on the highw-ay as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving o.n steep hills or -mountains is diffexent f?~m.
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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EA -
iUT--U:
If you.don't shift down, your brakes could
get.so ho-tthat they woulddt work wel.1. You
would then have poor bmking.'or .even none going
down a hill. You could.cra$h. Shift down to let
your engine a.ssist your brakes on a steep
downhill sI.ope, ignition
Gff is dangerous. Your brakes will. have to
.do- all the work of slmingdawn. They could get isi,
.hot--that they wouldn't wo-rk weU* YOU would then
have pour 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.
0 Know haw to gxuphill. You may wmt to .&if.d~wn
to. a lower gex. The Iower ge~ars help- cool yuur engine
and tlrmsmission, and you can-climb~the. hill.b.etter.
Stay in ywr own lane when driving: an hYe1an.e
roGds
in hills or.mountairis. Dorr't'swing wide ix cut
aa-oss the: center of'-the road; Drive at-speeds that-let
you stay in your own lane.
1 As you gqover the top of -a..Kll, be alert, There codd 'oe
something in your he, like a stalled cai or an .accident.
0 You may see highway signs on-mountains .that warn of
special problems, -Examples are long grades, ,p.ass@, or
.no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
'roads. Be alert to .these and. take appmpkiate action.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter .driving:
a Have you vehicle in .good shape for winter.
0 YOU may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle. Include
an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, *a Stifiply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clathing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and
reflective warning triangles. And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, inc1ude.a small bag sf sand, a
piece
of old carpet or a couple of burlap .bags to help.
provide traction.
Be sure.you properly .secur.e these
items
in your-vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most :of the time, those places where your tires. meet.-the
mad-probably .have good traction.
However, if there is: snow or ice between.yc5ur tires axid‘
the raad, you can have. a very slippery situation. Yau’ll
have
a’ lot less traction :or “grip” .and will need to be.
very careful.
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