1993 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 170

What's the worst timefor this?"Wet ice." Very cold snow or ice can be slick and hard to driveon. But wet ice can be even more trouble becauseit may offer the least traction of all. You can get "wet ice" when it's about freezing(32°F; O O C ) and freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever the condition- smooth ice, packed, blowing or loose snow - drive with caution. 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. Yo'uranti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you havethe anti-lock braking system, you'll want to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement. See "Anti-Lock" in the Index. on Allow greater following distance any slippery road. Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in shaded areas wherethe sun can't reach: around clumpsof trees, behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the surface a curve or of an overpass may remain icy when the surrounding roadsare clear. If you see a patch of ice aheadof you, brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you're actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers.