Loss Of Control - Pontiac 2006 Torrent Owner's Manual

Remember that your passenger side 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.
•
Do not 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 are 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 us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not 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
are not 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 is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Traction Control System (TCS),
remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration skid.
See Traction Control System (TCS) on page 4-9. If you
do not have this system, or if the 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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