On-Paved Road Driving - Suzuki Jimny Owner's Manual

Important Vehicle Characteristics to Know: NO
On-Paved Road Driving: NO
Narrower Body Width and Track
Your vehicle is narrower than the average
passenger car so that it can pass through
tight spaces.
Without the essential characteristics
described above: higher ground clearance,
shorter wheelbase, and narrower body
width and track -your vehicle could not pro-
vide you with excellent off road driving per-
formance. However, it is also true that on-
road driving, handling, and steering will be
different from what drivers experience with
a conventional passenger car.

On-Paved Road Driving

The data of accidents show that most roll-
over accidents for multi-purpose vehicles
are caused when a driver loses control of
the vehicle and leaves the paved portion of
the roadway striking a ditch, curb or other
off-road object that causes the vehicle to
overturn. The following driving practices
may reduce the risk of rollover.
Vehicle Slides Off-Road
You can reduce the risk of this kind of roll-
over accident by always keeping the vehi-
cle under control. Typically, drivers lose
control of vehicles, often resulting in roll-
over accidents, when the driver is impaired
because of alcohol or other drugs, falls
asleep at the wheel or is otherwise inatten-
tive, or is driving too fast for the road condi-
tions.
Rollovers On the Roadway
If, for any reason, your vehicle slides side-
ways or spins out of control at highway
speeds, while on the paved portion of the
roadway, the risk of rollover is greatly
increased. This condition can be created
when two or more wheels drop off onto the
shoulder and you steer sharply in an
attempt to reenter the roadway. To reduce
the risk of rollover in these circumstances,
if conditions permit, you should hold the
steering wheel firmly and slow down
before pulling back into the travel lanes
with controlled steering movements.
DRIVING TIPS
All Types of Rollover Accidents
As with many kinds of automobile acci-
dents, rollovers can be greatly reduced by
doing what all prudent drivers should do,
i.e., don't drink and drive, don't drive when
tired and don't do anything behind the
wheel that could cause a loss of attention
to the driving task.
Additional guidelines are set out below for
your on-road driving.
Know Your Vehicle
Take time to familiarize yourself with the
unique handling characteristics of your
vehicle by first driving around in an area
away from traffic. Practice turning the vehi-
cle at a variety of speeds and in different
directions. Get a feel for the greater steer-
ing response that your vehicle has over a
conventional car.
Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times
The driver and all passengers should be
properly restrained at all times, using the
seat belts provided. Refer to the "SEAT
BELTS" section for instructions on proper
use of the seat belts.
Don't Make Sharp Turns
As mentioned before, small multipurpose
vehicles have specific design characteris-
tics that allow them to perform in a wide
variety of applications. These characteris-
tics also change the cornering behavior
relative to conventional passenger cars.
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