Loss Of Control - GMC Sierra Classic 2007 Owner's Manual

•
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 Assist System (TAS),
remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid. See Traction Assist System (TAS) on
page 357. 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.
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