1994 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 144

t Braking in Emergencies At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation that requires hard braking. The four-wheel anti-lock system lets you steer and brakeat the same time. If you have the rear-wheel anti-lock braking system, your front wheels can stop rolling when you brake very hard. Once they do, the vehicle can't respond to your steering. Momentum will carryin whatever directionit it was headed when the front wheels stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic. So, unless you have four-wheel anti-lock, use a "squeeze" braking technique. This will give you maximum braking while maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure. When you do, it will help maintain steering control. In many emergencies, steering can help more than even the very best braking. you Steering Power Steering If you lose power steering assist because the engine stopsthe system is or not functioning,you can steer but will take much more effort. it Steering Tips Driving on Curves It's important to take eurves at a reasonable speed. A lot of the "drrver lost control" accidents mentiton curves. Here's why: ~~- -- - -~ -1-3 news happen bxperienced driver or beginner, each us is subject to the same laws of of physics when driving on curves. traction of the tires against the road The surface makesit possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle goingin the same direction.If you've ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet you'll ice, understand this. The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition tires of your and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're a curve, speedis the one factor you can control. in Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Then suddenly apply you the brakes. Both control systems steering and braking- have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can demand too much of those places.You can lose control. 48