4-3 Driving Environment
You can also help avoid a rollover or other type of crash
by being prepared for driving in inclement weather, at
night, or during other times where visibility or traction
may be limited (such as on curves, slippery roads or
hilly terrain). Unfamiliar surroundings can also have
hidden hazards. To help you learn more about driving in
different conditions, this section contains information
about city, freeway, and off
-road driving, as well as
other hints for driving in various weather conditions.
Vehicle Design
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. Utility vehicles do have a
higher ground clearance and a narrower track or shorter
wheelbase than passenger cars to make them more
capable for off
-road driving. Specific design
characteristics like these give the driver a better view of
the road, but also give utility vehicles a higher center of
gravity than other types of vehicles. This means that you
shouldn't expect a utility vehicle to handle the same way
a vehicle with a lower center of gravity, like a car, would
in similar situations. But driver behavior factors are farmore often the cause of a utility vehicle rollover than are
environmental or vehicle factors. Safe driver behavior
and understanding the environment in which you'll be
driving can help avoid a rollover crash in any type of
vehicle, including utility vehicles.
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See ªSafety Beltsº in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means ªbe ready for anything.º
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
ªalways expect the unexpected.º
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to
be careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear
-end collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It's the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to
brake or turn suddenly.
6-66 Vehicle Dimensions
Length
Tw o
-Door Convertible
Tw o
-Wheel Drive 151.6 inches (385.1 cm). . . . . . .
Four
-Wheel Drive 151.8 inches (385.6 cm). . . . . . .
Four
-Door Hardtop
Tw o
-Wheel Drive 162.6 inches (413.0 cm). . . . . . .
Four
-Wheel Drive 162.8 inches (413.5 cm). . . . . . .
Width
Tw o
-Door Convertible 67.3 inches (170.9 cm). . . . . .
Four
-Door Hardtop 67.3 inches (170.9 cm). . . . . . . . Height
Tw o
-Door Convertible
Tw o
-Wheel Drive 66.5 inches (168.9 cm). . . . . . . .
Four
-Wheel Drive 66.5 inches (168.9 cm). . . . . . . .
Four
-Door Hardtop
Tw o
-Wheel Drive 65.6 inches (166.6 cm). . . . . . . .
Four
-Wheel Drive 66.3 inches (168.4 cm). . . . . . . .
Wheelbase
Tw o
-Door Convertible 86.6 inches (220.0 cm). . . . . .
Four
-Door Hardtop 97.6 inches (247.9 cm). . . . . . . .
Tread
Front 57.5 inches (146.1 cm). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear 57.5 inches (146.1 cm). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
