2007 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner's Manual - Page 236

• Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. • Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. • If you are being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), remember: It helps to avoid only the acceleration skid. See Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 230. If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, or if the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems - brakes, steering, and acceleration - do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. 236