Steering In Emergencies - Cadillac Escalade 2003 Owner's Manual

The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems —
steering and acceleration — have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much of those places. You can lose
®
control. See Stabilitrak
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
®
If you have Stabilitrak , you may see the STABILITY
SYSTEM ACTIVE message on the message center. See
"Stability System Active Message" under DIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-62 .
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
4-14
System on page 4-10 .
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can "drive" through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.

Steering in Emergencies

There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time. But
sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the time for
evasive action — steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
See Braking on page 4-6 . It is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible collision. Then
steer around the problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.