1998 Buick Regal Owner's Manual - Page 197

The traction you can get in a curve dependson the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at While you're which the curve is banked, and your speed. in a curve, speed is the factor you can control. one Suppose you're steering through sharp curve. Then you a -suddenly accelerate. Both control systems steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places.You can lose control. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, theposted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditionsyou'll want to go slower. If you need to reduceyour speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjustyour speed so you can "drive" through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are outof the curve,and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. Steering in Emergencies There are timeswhen 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 fromnowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops rightin front of you. You can avoid theseproblems by braking -- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the time for evasive action -- steering around the problem. Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. (See "Braking in Emergencies" earlier in this section.) It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to theleft or right depending on the space available. 4-13