2005 Chevrolet Astro Owner's Manual - Page 191

Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface under the tires even more. Your anti-lock brakes improve your vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have an anti-lock braking system, you will want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-7. If You Are Caught in a Blizzard • Allow greater following distance on any slippery road. • Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot reach: around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers. If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a serious situation. You should probably stay with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near help and you can hike through the snow. Here are some things to do to summon help and keep yourself and your passengers safe: • Turn on your hazard flashers. • Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that you have been stopped by the snow. 4-25