
5-64
Driving your vehicle
RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
Operating conditions
To operate:
Go to the User Settings Mode
(Driving Assist) and select RCTA
(Rear Cross Traffic Alert) on the LCD
display (For more details, refer to
"LCD Display" in chapter 3.).The
system will turn on and standby to
activate. The system will activate
when vehicle speed is below 10km/h
(6.2mph) with the shift lever in R
(Reverse).
Information
The RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)
detecting range is about 0.5m ~ 20m.
A vehicle will be detected if the vehicle
speed is 4km/h ~ 36km/h within the
detecting range. However, the detect-
ing range may change under different
conditions. Always pay attention to
the surroundings.
Warning type
If the vehicle detected by the sensors
approaches your vehicle, the warn-
ing chime will sound, the warning
light on the outside rearview mirror
will blink and a message will appear
on the LCD display.
Information
• If the detected vehicle is out of the
sensing range of your vehicle, move
the vehicle away from the detected
object slowly; the warning will be
cancelled.
• The system may not operate proper-
ly due to other factors or circum-
stances. Always pay attention to
your surrounding.
• If your vehicle's left or right side
bumper is blinded by barrier or
vehicles, the system sensing ability
may be reduced.
i
i
• Type A■ Left
■ Right
• Type B
• Type A• Type B
OLF054221N/OLF054219N
OLF054222N/OLF054218N

5-65
Driving your vehicle
5
•The system may not work prop-
erly if the bumper has been
replaced or if repair work has
been done near the sensor.
•The detection area differs
according to the roads width. If
the road is narrow the system
may detect other vehicles in the
next lane. In addition, if the road
is very wide the system may not
detect other vehicles.
•The system may turn off due to
strong electromagnetic waves.
NOTICE
•The warning light on the out-
side rearview mirror will illu-
minate whenever a vehicle is
detected at the rear side by
the system.
To a vo i d a c c i d e n t s , d o n o t
focus only on the warning
light and neglect to see the
surrounding of the vehicle.
•Drive safely even though the
vehicle is equipped with a
Blind Spot Detection System
(BSD) and Rear Cross Traffic
Alert (RCTA). Do not solely
rely on the system but check
your surrounding before
changing lanes or backing the
vehicle up.
The system may not alert the
driver in some conditions so
always check the surround-
ings while driving.
(Continued)
(Continued)
•The Blind Spot Detection
System (BSD) and Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA) are not a
substitute for proper and safe
driving practices. Always
drive safely and use caution
when changing lanes or back-
ing the vehicles up. The Blind
Spot Detection System (BSD)
may not detect every object
alongside the vehicle.
WARNING

5-68
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud or sand:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden movements in braking
or steering.
If stuck in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-slip
material under the drive wheels to
provide traction when stuck in ice,
snow, or mud.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and a for-
ward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and
do not race the engine.
To prevent transaxle wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before
shifting gears. Release the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal while
the transaxle is in gear. Slowly spin-
ning the wheels in forward and
reverse directions causes a rocking
motion that may free the vehicle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
If the tires spin at high speed
the tires can explode, and you
or others may be injured. Do not
attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near
the vehicle.
The vehicle can overheat caus-
ing an engine compartment fire
or other damage. Spin the
wheels as little as possible and
avoid spinning the wheels at
speeds over 56 km/h (35 mph)
as indicated on the speedome-
ter.
WARNING

5-69
Driving your vehicle
5
If you are still stuck after rocking
the vehicle a few times, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle
to avoid engine overheating, pos-
sible damage to the transaxle, and
tire damage. See “Towing” in
chapter 6.
To p r e v e n t d a m a g e t o t h e
transaxle, turn OFF the ESC prior
to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards
than driving in the daylight. Here are
some important tips to remember:
•Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
•Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lamps.
•Keep your headlamps clean and
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly
aimed headlamps will make it
much more difficult to see at night.
•Avoid staring directly at the head-
lamps of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
NOTICE

5-70
Driving your vehicle
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous. Here are a few things to
consider when driving in the rain or
on slick pavement:
•Slow down and allow extra follow-
ing distance. A heavy rainfall
makes it harder to see and increas-
es the distance needed to stop
your vehicle.
•Turn OFF your Cruise Control.(if
equipped)
•Replace your windshield wiper
blades when they show signs of
streaking or missing areas on the
windshield.
•Be sure your tires have enough
tread. If your tires do not have
enough tread, making a quick stop
on wet pavement can cause a skid
and possibly lead to an accident.
See “Tire Tread” in chapter 7.
•Turn on your headlamps to make it
easier for others to see you.
•Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
•If you believe your brakes may be
wet, apply them lightly while driv-
ing until normal braking operation
returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increas-
es as the depth of tire tread
decreases, refer to “Tire Tread” in
chapter 7.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid dr iving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.

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Driving your vehicle
5
Snow or icy conditions
Yo u n e e d t o k e e p s u f f i c i e n t d i s t a n c e
between your vehicle and the vehicle
in front of you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding,
rapid acceleration, sudden brake
applications, and sharp turns are
potentially very hazardous practices.
During deceleration, use engine
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden
brake applications on snowy or icy
roads may cause skids to occur.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it
may be necessary to use snow tires
or to install tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment.
Some of the items you may want to
carry include tire chains, tow straps
or chains, a flashlight, emergency
flares, sand, a shovel, jumper cables,
a window scraper, gloves, ground
cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tiresIf you mount snow tires on your vehi-
cle, make sure to use radial tires of
the same size and load range as the
original tires. Mount snow tires on all
four wheels to balance your vehicle’s
handling in all weather conditions.
The traction provided by snow tires
on dry roads may not be as high as
your vehicle's original equipment
tires. Check with the tire dealer for
maximum speed recommendations.
Information
Do not install studded tires without
first checking local and municipal reg-
ulations for possible restrictions
against their use.
i
WINTER DRIVING
Snow tires should be equivalent
in size and type to the vehicle's
standard tires. Otherwise, the
safety and handling of your
vehicle may be adversely affect-
ed.
WARNING

5-75
Driving your vehicle
5
Don't let your parking brake freeze
Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged
position. This is most likely to hap-
pen when there is an accumulation
of snow or ice around or near the
rear brakes or if the brakes are wet.
If there is a risk the parking brake
may freeze, apply it only temporarily
while you put the shift lever in P
(automatic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle) and
block the rear wheels so the vehicle
cannot roll. Then release the parking
brake.
Don't let ice and snow accumulate
underneath
Under some conditions, snow and
ice can build up under the fenders
and interfere with the steering. When
driving in severe winter conditions
where this may happen, you should
periodically check underneath the
vehicle to be sure the movement of
the front wheels and the steering
components is not obstructed.
Carry emergency equipment
Depending on the severity of the
weather, you should carry appropri-
ate emergency equipment. Some of
the items you may want to carry
include tire chains, tow straps or
chains, flashlight, emergency flares,
sand, shovel, jumper cables, window
scraper, gloves, ground cloth, cover-
alls, blanket, etc.
Don't place foreign objects or
materials in the engine compart-
ment
Placement of foreign object or mate-
rials which prevent cooling of the
engine, in the engine compartment,
may cause a failure or combustion.
The manufacturer is not responsible
for the damage caused by such
placement.

5-80
Driving your vehicle
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak-
ing system, make sure it conforms
your country’s regulations and that it
is properly installed and operating
correctly.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes loaded, then it needs its
own brakes and they must be ade-
quate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. Be sure not
to tap into your vehicle's brake sys-
tem.
Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get
to know your trailer. Acquaint your-
self with the feel of handling and
braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that
the vehicle you are driving is now
longer and not nearly as responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tires
and brakes.
During your trip, occasionally check
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and trailer brakes
are still working.
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 sud-
den turns.
Passing
Yo u w i l l n e e d m o r e p a s s i n g d i s t a n c e
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have proper-
ly set up the brake system. This
is not a task for amateurs. Use
an experienced, competent
trailer shop for this work.
WARNING