1995 Oldsmobile 88 Owner's Manual - Page 172

Loss of Control If you do not have traction control, if the system is or off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by Let's review what driving experts about what say easing your foot the accelerator pedal. off happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering If your vehicle starts to slide, your footoff the ease and acceleration)don't have enough friction where the tires meet the road to what the driver has asked. do In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area less of danger. accelerator pedal and quickly steer the you want the way vehicle to go. you start steering quickly enough, your If vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skidif it occurs. Of course, tractionis reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. safety, you'll For Skidding want to slow down and adjust your driving to these In a skid, a driver lose control of the vehicle. can conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and care suited to existing conditions, and not by vehicle control more limited. "overdriving" those conditions. But skids are always While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try possible. your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or The three typesof skids correspond to your braking (includingengine braking by shifting toa lower Oldsmobile's three control systems. In the braking skid gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. your wheels aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering You may not realize the surface is slippery until your skid, too much speed or steering incurve causes tires a vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues -to slip andlose cornering force. And in the acceleration such as enough water, ice or packed snow the road to on causes the driving wheels to spin. make a "mirrored surface" and slow down when you skid too much throttle -have any doubt. A cornering skidis best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Remember: Any anti-lockbrake system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking skid. If you havethe traction control system, remember: It helps avoidonly the acceleration skid. 4-14