2007 Chevrolet Impala Owner's Manual - Page 275

If your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS), it will improve your ability to accelerate when driving on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has a traction system you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under certain conditions, you may want to turn the TCS off, such as when driving through deep snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at lower speeds. See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 256. If your vehicle does not have TCS, accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even more. Unless your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently, too. If your vehicle does have ABS, see Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 253. ABS improves your vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Whether your vehicle has ABS or not, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction you can. Remember, unless your vehicle has ABS, if you brake so hard that the wheels stop rolling, your vehicle will just slide. Brake so the wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer. • Whatever your vehicle's braking system, allow greater following distance on any slippery road. • Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. 275