Maserati QUATTROPORTE Owner's Manual page 232

Driving
• carefully arrange and secure any
objects in the trunk, to prevent them
to move forward in case of sudden
stops;
• avoid drinking alcohol.
WARNING!
Beyond being prohibited by law, it is
extremely dangerous to ride inside the
trunk or on the front lid. In the event
of an accident, passengers sitting
there are more exposed to the risk of
serious injury. Passengers must only
travel seated in the vehicle seats, with
the seat belts fastened. Always check
5
that the driver and all passengers
have the seat belts correctly fastened.
230
Safe Driving
Although the vehicle is equipped with
active and passive safety devices, the
driver's conduct is always a decisive
factor for road safety.
Some simple rules for traveling safely
in different conditions are listed
below. Some of them will probably
already sound familiar but, in any case,
it would be useful to read them
carefully.
Driving at Night
The main guidelines to follow when
driving at night are set out below.
• Drive carefully. Night conditions
demands more focus and attention.
• Reduce your speed, especially on
roads with no streetlights.
• Stop at early signs of drowsiness.
Continuing to drive would be a risk
for yourself and for others. Have a
rest before continuing your trip.
• Keep the vehicle at a greater
distance from vehicles in front of you
than you would during the day: it is
difficult to assess the speed of other
vehicles when you only see the lights.
• Check that the headlights are
correctly adjusted: if they are too
low, they reduce visibility and strain
the eyes. If they are too high, they
may bother other drivers.
• Use the high beams only outside of
densely-populated areas and when
you are sure that they will not
disturb other drivers.
• When another vehicle is
approaching, switch from high
beams (if on) to low beams.
• Keep lights and headlights clean.
• Beware of animals crossing the road.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads are dangerous. On
a wet road all maneuvers are more
difficult since wheel grip on the
asphalt is significantly reduced. This
means that braking distances increase
considerably and road grip decreases.
Some advice for driving in the rain are
listed below.
• Reduce your speed and keep a
greater safety distance from the
vehicles in front of you. High speed
may result in a loss of vehicle control.
• When driving on wet or slushy roads,
it is possible for a wedge of water to
build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as
aquaplaning and may cause partial
or complete loss of vehicle control
and stopping ability. To reduce this