Chevrolet 1994 Lumina Owner's Manual download pdf (Page 137)

Braking in Emergencies

At some time, nearly

every

driver gets into a situation

that requires hard braking.

If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the

same time. However, if

you

don’t have anti-lock, your

first reaction

to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it

down

may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can

stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to

your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever

direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.

That could be off the road, into the very thing you were

trying to avoid, or into traffic.

you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking

technique. This will give you maximum braking while

maintaining steering control. You do this by pushing on

the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.

In an emergency you will probably want to “squeeze”

the brakes hard without locking the wheels.

you hear

or feel the wheels sliding, ease

off

the brake pedal. This

will help you retain steering control. (If you

have

anti-lock, it’s different: see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the

Index.)

In many emergencies, steering can help you more than

even the very best braking.

Steering

Power Steering

If you lose power steering assist because the engine

stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but

it will take much more effort.

Steering Tips

Driving

Curves

It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.

lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on

the news happen

curves. Here’s why:

Experienced driver

beginner, each of

is subject to

the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The

traction of the tires against the road surface makes it

possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn

the front wheels.

there’s no traction, inertia will keep

the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever

tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.

The traction you can get in a curve depends on the

condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle

at which the curve

banked, and your speed. While

you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can

control.

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Chevrolet 1994 Lumina Owner's Manual Page 137

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