1993 Pontiac Sunbird Owner's Manual - Page 107

Your Driving and the Road Braking in Emergencies it possible forthe vehicle to change its path when you turn the front wheels. If Use your anti-lock braking system when there's no traction, inertia will keep the you need to. With anti-lock, you can vehicle goingin the same direction.If steer and brake at thesame time.In you've evertried to steer a vehicle on many emergencies,steering can help wet ice, you'll understand this. you morethan even the very best The traction you can get in a curve braking. depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface,the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're in a curve, speed the one is Power Steering factor you can control. If you lose powersteering assist Suppose you're steering through a because the engine stops or the system sharp curve. Then you suddenly is not functioning, you can steer but it accelerate. Both control systems will take much more effort. steering and acceleration have to do their work where tires meetthe the Steering Tips road. Addingthe sudden acceleration can demandtoo much of those places. Driving on Curves You can lose control. It's important to take curves at a What should you do this ever if reasonable speed. happens? Ease up on accelerator the A lot of the "driver lost control" pedal, steer the vehicle the way you accidents mentioned on the news want it to go, and slow down. happen on curves. Here's why: that Experienced driver or beginner, each of Speed limit signs near curves warn Of us is subjectto the same lawsof physics you should adjust your speed. course, the posted speedsare based on when driving on curves. The traction of the tires against the road surface makes good weather and road conditions. You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speedand controls braking pressure accordingly. Remember: Anti-lockdoesn't change the time you need to get yourfoot up to the brake pedal. If you gettoo close to the vehicle in front of you, youwon't have time to apply yourbrakes if that vehicle suddenly slows stops. Always or leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have anti-lock brakes. To Use Anti-Lock Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel system the working, or you may notice some noise, but thisis normal. Steering