1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 157

1 Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking.For example, you come over a hl and find a il truck stopped in yourlane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems braking-if by you can stopin time. But sometimesyou can't; there isn'troom. That's the time for evasive action-steering around the problem. , Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheelat the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removingeither hand. But you have toact fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. You must thenbe prepared to steer back to your original lane and then brake a to controlled stop. Depending on yourspeed, this can be rather violent for an unprepared driver. This is one of the reasons driving experts recommend thatyou use your safety belts and keep both hands on the steering wheel. The fact that such emergency situations are always possibleis a good reason to practice defensive driving atall times.