Impaired Driving; Control Of A Vehicle; Braking; Steering - Chevrolet Malibu 2024 Owner's Manual

166 Driving and Operating
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they may do
and be ready.
Allow enough following distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Focus on the task of driving.

Impaired Driving

Death and injury associated with impaired
driving is a global tragedy.
Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then
driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You can have a
serious or even fatal collision if you
drive after drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs, or ride with a driver
who has been drinking or is impaired by
Warning (Continued)
drugs. Find alternate transportation
home; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will remain sober.

Control of a Vehicle

Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control a
vehicle while driving.

Braking

Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time. Deciding to push the brake
pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that time, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:
Keep enough distance between you and
the vehicle in front of you.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
(Continued)
Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is
being driven, brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the engine
stops, there will be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.

Steering

Caution
To avoid damage to the steering system,
do not drive over curbs, parking barriers,
or similar objects at speeds greater than
3 km/h (1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused by
misuse of the vehicle is not covered by
the vehicle warranty.