Safe Driving - Mercedes-Benz 1985 380SE Owner's Manual

Safe Driving

Power assistance:
When the engine is not running,
both the service brake and the
steering are without power as­
sistance. Under these cir­
cumstances, a much greater
effort is necessary to steer or
stop the vehicle.
Tires:
Do not allow your tires to wear down
too far. With less than appr. 3 mm/
V
in of tread, the antiskid properties
q
on a wet road fall off sharply.
Depending upon the weather and/or
road pavement, the traction varies
widely.
Specified tire pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly
if the tires are subjected to high
loads (e.g. high speeds, heavy
loads, high ambient temperatures).
54
Aquaplaning:
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aquaplaning
may occur, even at low speeds.
Avoid track grooves in the road and
apply brakes cautiously in the rain.
Tire friction:
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 temperatures fall
close to the freezing point.
If ice has formed on the road, tire
traction will be substantially
reduced. Under such weather
conditions, drive, steer and brake
particularly carefully.
We recommend M + S radial-ply
tires for the cold season. On packed
snow, they can reduce your stop­
ping distance as compared with
summer tires. Stopping distance,
however, is nevertheless consid­
erably greater than when the road is
wet or dry.
Brakes:
When driving down long and steep
declines, relieve the brakes by
shifting into "B", "3" or "2". This
prevents overheating of the brakes
and reduces brake pad wear.