Safe Driving - Mercedes-Benz 450 SL 1980 Owner's Manual

Safe Driving

Always drive according to the
rule " Safety firs t" . The com fortable
ride of the vehicle may easily
tem pt you to underestim ate the
speed you are actually driving at.
For this reason you should get used
to keeping an eye on the speedo­
meter needle because high speeds
demand long stopping distances.
Do not attem pt to move or roll the
vehicle with the engine not in ope­
ration, as engine-driven accessories
such as the power steering system
or power brakes are not " pow ered" ,
therefore, requiring substantially
more effort fo r their operation even
though they always remain mecha­
nically operative.
Do not allow your tires to wear
down too far. With less than appr.
3 m m /'/s in of tread, the antiskid
properties on a wet road fall off
sharply.
Depending upon the weather a nd /
or road pavement, the grip of the
tires varies widely.
The retention of the specified tire
pressure is essential. This applies
particularly if the tires are subjected
to high loads (e.g. high speeds,
heavy loads, high ambient tem ­
peratures).
Aquaplaning:
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aquaplan­
ing may occur even with tires still
showing the full tread depth, and
even at low speeds. Avoid track
grooves in the road and apply
brakes cautiously in the rain.
Tire friction:
Dry road = 100 %
Wet road = from approx. 50 % to
approx. 80 % (be particularly cau­
tious on wet and dirty roads)
Icy road = approx. 15 %
A given speed at which a vehicle
driven on dry roads can still be fully
controlled must be reduced when
the same vehicle is to be driven
safely on a wet or icy road.
You should pay particular attention
to the condition of the road as soon
as the prevailing tem peratures fall
close to the freezing point. If ice
has formed on the road (e. g. due to
fog), a thin film of w ater is then
quickly produced on the ice which
substantially reduces the grip of
the tires. Under such weather con­
ditions, drive, steer and brake
particularly carefully.
We recommend M + S radial-ply
tires fo r the cold season. On ice
or packed snow, they can reduce
your stopping distance as compa­
red with summer tires. Stopping
distance, however, is nevertheless
considerably greater than when the
road is wet or dry.
When driving down long and steep
declines, relieve the brakes by
engaging selector lever position
" S" or " L" . This prevents over­
heating of the brakes and reduces
brake pad wear.
After hard braking it is advisable
not to switch off the engine right
away but to drive on fo r some time
so the air stream w ill cool down the
brakes faster.
When driving in heavy rain for some
tim e w ithout applying the brakes,
the first braking action may be
somewhat retarded and increased
pedal pressure may be necessary.
For this reason, stay further away
from vehicle in front.