0
0
a
a
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.)
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
lamps
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.
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 meet the 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.
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 Cadillac’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling.
In
the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose comering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels
to
spin.
A
cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot
off
the accelerator pedal.
Remember: Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
If your traction control system is
off,
then an
acceleration skid is also 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.
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