Loss Of Control - GMC 1993 Jimmy Owner's Manual

Your Driving and the Road
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don't have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer, and constantly seek
an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable care suited
to
existing conditions, and by not
"overdriving" those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the
driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal. If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn
a comer on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal as soon as you feel the tires start to slide. Quickly steer
the way you want the vehicle
to
go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle will'straighten out. As
it
does, straighten the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice, gravel, or other material
is on the road. For safety, you'll want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance w i l l be longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on' a surface with reduced traction,
try
your best to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration, or braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a tower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You
may not realize the
surface
is slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues-such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the
road to make a "mirrored surface"-and slow down when you have any
doubt.
Remember: Any antitock braking system (ABS) helps avoid only the braking
skid. Steer 'the way you want to go.
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