2004 Ford F150 Driving Your SUV or Truck 2nd Printing (Spanish) - Page 31

Driving On Roadways Emergency maneuvers • In an emergency situation where a sudden sharp turn must be made, remember to avoid "over-driving" your vehicle, i.e., turn the steering wheel only as rapidly and as far as required to avoid the emergency. Avoid abrupt steering, acceleration or braking which could increase the risk of loss of vehicle control or vehicle rollover. Instead, smooth variations of the accelerator and/or brake pedal pressure should be utilized if changes in vehicle speed are called for. Use all available road surface to return the vehicle to a safe direction of travel. • In the event of an emergency stop, avoid skidding the tires and do not attempt any sharp steering wheel movements. • If the vehicle goes from one type of road surface to another (i.e., from concrete to gravel), there will be a change in the way the vehicle responds in steering, acceleration or braking. Again, avoid abrupt inputs steering or braking inputs. Snow and ice Your 4WD or AWD vehicle will have advantages over two-wheel drive vehicles in snow and on ice by providing increased driving traction. However, if you suddenly change speed or direction, you may lose traction and in turn, control as is the case with all vehicles. 4WD and AWD vehicles can slide on slippery roads just like any other vehicle. Should the rear end of the vehicle start to slide while cornering on snowy or icy roads, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the slide until you regain control. Avoid sudden braking as well. Although a 4WD or AWD vehicle may accelerate better than a two-wheel drive vehicle in snow and ice, it won't stop any faster, because as in two-wheel drive vehicles, braking occurs at all four wheels. Do not become overconfident in the ability of 4WD and AWD vehicles to compensate for aggressive driving maneuvers in poor road conditions. Make sure you allow sufficient distance between you and other vehicles for stopping. In emergency stopping situations, avoid locking the wheels. • For vehicles without anti-lock brakes, use a "squeeze" technique: push on the brake pedal with a steadily increasing force which allows the wheels to brake yet continue to roll so that you may steer in the direction you want to travel. If you lock the wheels, release the brake pedal and repeat the squeeze technique. 7