1995 Pontiac Trans Sport Owner's Manual - Page 203

Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped inyour lane, or a car suddenly out pulls fiom nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right fiont of you. You can avoid these in problems by braking-- if you can stopin time. But room. That's the time for sometimes you can't; there isn't evasive action -- steering aroundthe problem. Your Pontiac can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. (See "Braking in Emergencies" earlier in this section.) It isbetter 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. Off-Road Recovery You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're driving. If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edgeof the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down theroadway. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can turn it a fl 180 degrees very quickly without removing ul either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. The fact that such emergency situations are always possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 4-12