I
.-.
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 systems
--
steering
and acceleration
--
have to do their work where the tires
meet the road. Unless you have traction control and the
system is on, 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 courqe, the posted speeds are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want
to
go slower.
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 Pontiac 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,
u
’
..**vu-..
UY
.
..
.
--
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