{CAUTION
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will
have to do all the work of
slowing down and they could
get so hot that they would not
work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could
crash. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear
when going downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something
could be in your lane (stalled car,
accident).
Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape
for winter.
You might want to put winter
emergency supplies in your
vehicle.
Include an ice scraper, a small
brush or broom, a supply of
windshield washer uid, a rag,
some winter outer clothing, a small
shovel, a ashlight, a red cloth,
and re ective warning triangles.
And, if you will be driving under
severe conditions, include a small
bag of sand, a piece of old carpet, or
a couple of burlap bags to help
provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in
your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 9-39.
Driving and Operating 8-25
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread
shoulder and maximum section
width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The gradesare molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply to
deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver, or temporary
use spare tires, tires with nominal
rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some
limited-production tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary
with respect to these grades,
they must also conform to
federal safety requirements and
additional General Motors
Tire Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when
tested under controlled
conditions on a speci ed
government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1.5) times as well on the
government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart signi cantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices, and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Vehicle Service and Care 9-59
2008 - Pontiac G8 Owner Manual
