2009 Pontiac G8 Owner's Manual - Page 189

Driving and Operating 8-23 Off-Road Recovery Your vehicle's right wheels can drop off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while driving. Passing Passing another vehicle on a two-lane road can be dangerous. To reduce the risk of danger while passing: Loss of Control Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems - brakes, steering, and acceleration - do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger. • Look down the road, to the sides, and to crossroads for situations that might affect a successful pass. If in doubt, wait. • Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines that could indicate a turn or an intersection. Never cross a solid or double-solid line on your side of the lane. 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 edge of the pavement. Turn the steering wheel 3 to 5 inches, 76 to 127 mm, (about one-eighth turn) until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. 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 vehicle's three control systems. In the braking skid, the wheels are not rolling. • Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass. Doing so can reduce your visibility. • Wait your turn to pass a slow vehicle. • When you are being passed, ease to the right.