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Safe Driving
Always drive according to the rule
"Safety first". The comfortable ride of
the vehicle may easily tempt you to
underestimate the speed you are
actually driving at. For this reason
you should get used to keeping an
eye on the speedometer needle
because high speeds demand long
stopping distances.
Do not attempt to move or coast the
vehicle with the engine not in opera
tion, as engine-driven accessories
such as the power steering system
or power brakes are not "powered",
therefore, requiring substantially
more effort for 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 mm/
V
in of tread, the antiskid properties
b
on a wet road fall off sharply.
Depending upon the weather and/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 tempera
tures).
Aquaplaning:
Depending on the depth of the
water layer on the road, aquaplaning
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
cautious 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 temperatures fall
close to the freezing point. If ice has
formed on the road (e.g. due to fog),
a thin film of water is then quickly
produced on the ice wich substan
tially reduces the grip of the tires.
Under such weather conditions,
drive, steer and brake particularly
carefully.
We recommend M + S radial-ply
tires for the cold season. On ice or
packed snow, they can reduce your
stopping distance as compared with
summer tires. Stopping distance,
however, is nevertheless conside
rably 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 overheating of
the brakes and reduces brake pad
wear.
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