Defensive Driving; Control Of A Vehicle; Braking; Steering - GMC 2018 Acadia Denali Owner's Manual

Refer to the Infotainment section
and the infotainment manual for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a cell phone.

Defensive Driving

Defensive driving means always
expect the unexpected. The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts 0 66.
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.

Control of a Vehicle

Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.

Braking

Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
Avoid needless heavy braking.
Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Driving and Operating
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.

Steering

Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
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