1994 Pontiac Grand Am Owner's Manual - Page 129

Your Driving and the Road I Passing (CONT.) distance you would lose by dropping back. And if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity. If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to glance over your shoulder and check the blind spot. 0 B Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting to turn. If you're being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. Skidding [n a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to :xisting conditions, and by not ,'overdriving" those conditions. But skids we 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 much speed or steeringin a curve causes'tiresto slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too to much throttle causes the driving wheels spin. B Loss of Control Let's review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires meetthe 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. Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it really is.) A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid if it occurs. ...128