1998 Buick Century Owner's Manual - Page 195

0 Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lanechange signal beforemoving out of the right lane to pass. When are farenough you ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front your in inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. (Remember that you your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is.) Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passingthe next vehicle. Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, itmay be slowing down or starting toturn. In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape routeor area of less danger. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control the vehicle. of Defensive drivers avoid most skids taking reasoname by care suited to existing conditions, andby not "overdriving" those conditions. But skids always possible. are The three typesof skids correspond to your vehicle's three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels aren't rolling.In the steering orcornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causestires to slip and lose cornering force.And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. 0 If you're being passed,make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Loss of Control Let's review what driving experts say about what happens when the three controlsystems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. 4-13