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 is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in
a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you‘re steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control system
--
steering and
acceleration
--
have to do their
work
where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places.
You
can lose control.
What should you do
if
this ever happens? Ease up
on
the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle
the
way you want
it
to
go, and slow down.
Speed
limit
signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed.
Of
course, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If
you
need to reduce your speed as you approach
a
curve,
do
it
before you enter the curve, while yo~~r front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so
you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate
until
you are out
of
the curve,
and
then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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
in
your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars
and stops right
in
front
of
you.
You
can
avoid these
problems by braking
--
if
you can stop
in
time.
But
sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time for
evasive action
--
steering around the problem.
Your Oldsmobile can perform very well
in
emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. (See “Braking
in
Emergencies‘’ earlier
in
this section.)
It
is better 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.
4-10
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