1993 GMC Sonoma Owner's Manual - Page 173

carsuddenly pulls outfromnowhere, or a child dartsoutfrombetween parked cars and stops right in front ofyou.You can avoid these problemsby braking-if you canstopintime.Butsometimes you can't;there isn't room. That's the timeforevasiveaction-steeringaroundtheproblem. Your vehicle can performverywell in emergencieslikethese.Firstapplyyour brakes, but notenough to lockyourfrontwheels. It is better toremoveasmuch Thensteeraroundtheproblem, available. speed asyoucanfromapossiblecollision. to theleft or rightdepending on thespace I KO444 An emergencylike this requires close attention and aquickdecision. If you are holding the steering wheelattherecommended 9 and 3 o'clockpositions, youcanturn it a full 180 degreesveryquicklywithoutremovingeitherhand. But you have to actfast,steerquickly, and just asquickly straighten the wheelonceyouhave avoided theobject. You mustthenbepreparedtosteer back to your original lane and then braketoa controlled stop. Dependingonyourspeed, this canberatherviolentforanunprepareddriver. This isone of the reasons driving expertsrecommendthatyouuseyour safety belts and keep both hands on the steeringwheel. The fact that such emergency situations arealwayspossible to practice defensive driving at all times. is a good reason Off-Road Recovery You may find sometime that yourrightwheelshave aroadonto the shoulderwhile you're driving. dropped off theedge of 4-1 9