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Check
your
rnirrors, 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 vehicle’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 cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
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.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
4-12
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