Pontiac 2007 G5 Owner's Manual page 245

What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS), it
will improve your ability to accelerate when driving
on a slippery road. Even though your vehicle has
this system, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to the road conditions. See Enhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 226.
If your vehicle does not have ETS, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin
and polish the surface under the tires even more.
Unless your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently,
too. If your vehicle does have ABS, see Anti-Lock
Brake System (ABS) on page 223. ABS improves
your vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road.
Whether your vehicle has ABS or not, you will want
to begin stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle
begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little. Push the
brake pedal down steadily to get the most traction
you can.
Remember, unless your vehicle has ABS, if you
brake so hard that the wheels stop rolling,
your vehicle will just slide. Brake so the wheels
always keep rolling and you can still steer.
•
Whatever the braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
•
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
fine until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the
sun cannot reach, such as around clumps of
trees, behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a
patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not to brake while you are
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
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