1993 Pontiac Grand Prix Owner's Manual - Page 157

Your Driving and the Road LOSS of'Control Skidding In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not "overdriving" those conditions. But skids are always possible. The three types of skids correspond to your Pontiac's three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too muchspeed orsteering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force. Andin theacceleration skid too muchthrottle causes the driving wheelsto spin. A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn a corner on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot off the accelerator pedal as soon as you feelthe vehicle start to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle will straighten out. As it does, straighten the front wheels. Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, orother material ison the road. For safety, you'll want to slow downand adjust your driving to these conditions. It is important to slow downon slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control more limited. While drivingon a surface with reduced traction, try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or braking by (including engine braking shifting to a lower gear). Any sudden changes could causethe tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to Let's reviewwhat driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.