2007 Suzuki XL7 Owner's Manual - Page 164

DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE favorable conditions you will want to go slower. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can "drive" through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. Adding non-Suzuki accessories can affect your vehicle's performance. Refer to "Accessories and Modifications" in "Service" in the "Service and Appearance Care" section. 811539 from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. Off-Road Recovery You may find that your vehicle's right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you are driving. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking - if you can stop in time. But sometimes you cannot; there is not room. That is the time for evasive action - steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. Refer to "Braking" in this section. It is better to remove as much speed as you can An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 810696 If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. Passing The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a two-lane highway waits for just the right moment, accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes back 4-7