1994 Chevrolet Cavalier Owner's Manual - Page 117

Your Driving and the Road In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skidsby taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not "overdriving" those conditions. But skids are always possible. Let's reviewwhat driving experts say The three types of skids correspondto about what happens when three the your Chevrolet's three control systems. control systems (brakes, steering and In the braking skid your wheels aren't acceleration) don't have enough friction rolling. In the steering or cornering where the tires meet the road to do skid, too much speed or steering a in what the driver has asked. curve causestires to slip and lose In any emergency, don't give Keep up. cornering force. And in acceleration the trying to steer and constantly seek an skid too much throttle causes the escape route or area of less danger. driving wheels to spin. A cornering skidand an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot offthe accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts toslide, 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 skidif it occurs. If you're being passed, make it easy for thefollowing driverto get aheadof you. Perhaps you can ease little to a the right. Skidding Loss of Control Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel,or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll want to slow down and adjust your drivingto these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your bestto avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking shifting to by a lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to make a "mirrored surface" - and slow down when you have any doubt. Remember: Any anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking slid.