1993 Chevrolet S10 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 179

Controllingyourvehicle is thekey to successful off-road driving. One of the best ways to controlyourvehicle is to controlyourspeed.Herearesome things to keep in mind.At higherspeeds: youapproachthingsfasterandyouhave for obstacles. youhave less time to react. youhavemorevehiclebouncewhenyoudriveoverobstacles. you'llneedmoredistanceforbraking,especiallysinceyou'reonan unpavedsurface. less time to scan the terrain I CAUTION in direc1tion caneasilythrowyouout of position. This could causeyou to losecontrolandcrash. So,whetheryou'redrivingonorofftheroad, youandyourpassengersshouldwearsafetybelts. A Whenyou'redrivingoffroad,bouncingandquickchanges Scanning the Terrain Off-road driving can take youovermanydifferentkinds of terrain. You need to befamiliarwiththeterrainanditsmanydifferentfeatures.Herearesome things to consider. Surface Conditions Off-roadingcan take youoverhard-packeddirt,gravel,rocks,grass,sand, mud,snowor ice.Each ofthesesurfacesaffectsthesteering,acceleration, andbraking ofyourtruck in differentways.Dependinguponthe kind of surfaceyouare on, youmayexperienceslipping,sliding,wheelspinning, delayedacceleration,poortraction,andlongerbrakingdistances. Surface Obstacles Unseenor hidden obstaclescanbehazardous.Arock,log,hole,rut,or bumpcanstartleyou if you're not prepared for them. Often these obstacles arehidden by grass,bushes,snoworeven the riseand fall of theterrain itself. Here are some things to consider: I the path aheadclear? s Will the surfacetexturechangeabruptly upahead? of Does the travel take youuphill or downhill?(There'smorediscussion thesesubjects later.) Willyouhave to stopsuddenly or changedirectionquickly? 4-25