1993 GMC Jimmy Owner's Manual - Page 195

Driving Guidelines Thismultipurposepassengervehicleisdefinedasautilityvehicle in ConsumerInformationRegulationsissuedbytheNationalHighwayTraffic SafetyAdministration(NHTSA)oftheUnitedStatesDepartmentof Transportation.Utilityvehicleshavehighergroundclearanceandanarrower in a widevarietyofoff-road track to makethemcapableofperforming applications.Specificdesigncharacteristicsgivethemahighercenterof gravitythanordinarycars.Anadvantageofthehighergroundclearance is a to anticipate problems. They are not betterviewoftheroadallowingyou designed for cornering at the same speeds asconventional2-wheeldrive to perform vehiclesanymorethanlow-slungsportscarsaredesigned satisfactorilyunderoff-roadconditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or abruptmaneuvers. As withothervehicles of thistype,failure to operatethis loss of control or vehiclerollover. vehiclecorrectlymayresultin Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel Drive Vehicle Thisoff-roadguideisforvehiclesthathavefour-wheeldrive.(Also,see "AntilockBrakes" in theIndex.) I yourvehicledoesn'thavefour-wheeldrive, f youshouldn'tdriveoff-roadunlessyou'reonalevel,solidsurface. Off-road driving can be great fun. But it doeshavesomedefinitehazards. Thegreatestofthese is the terrain itself. "Off-roading"meansyou'veleftthegreatNorthAmericanroadsystembehind. Trafficlanesaren'tmarked.Cutvesaren'tbanked.Therearenoroadsigns. Surfacescanbeslippery,rough,uphillordownhill.Inshort,you'vegoneright back to nature. Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that's whyit'sveryimportant thatyoureadthisguide.You'll find manydrivingtipsandsuggestions.These will helpmakeyouroff-roaddrivingsaferandmoreenjoyable. Before You Go Off-Roading Therearesomethings to do beforeyougoout. For example,besure to haveallnecessarymaintenanceandserviceworkdone.Besureyoureadall the informationaboutyourfour-wheeldrivevehicleinthismanual. I there s enoughfuel? Is the spare tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where theyshouldbe?Whatarethe local laws that apply to off-roadingwhereyou'll bedriving? If youdon'tknow,youshouldcheckwithlawenforcementpeople inthearea. Will youbeonsomeone'sprivateland? If so, besure to getthe necessarypermission. 4-23