Pontiac 1993 Grand Am Owner's Manual page 147

Your Driving and the Road
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your headlights-not just your
parking lights-to help make you more
visible to others.
*
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming
from behind. You may want to use
your headlights even in daytime if it's
raining hard.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray. If the road spray is so heavy you
are actually blinded, drop back. Don't
pass until conditions improve. Going
more slowly is better than having an
accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See the Index under Tires.)
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
Fog can occur with high humidity or
heavy frost. It can be so mild that you
can see through it for several hundred
feet (meters). Or it might be so thick
that you can see only a few feet (meters)
ahead. It may come suddenly to an
otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your
visibility will be reduced quickly. The
biggest dangers are striking the vehicle
ahead or being struck by the one
behind. Try to "read'' the fog density
down the road. If the vehicle ahead
starts to become less clear or, at night, if
the taillights are harder to see, the fog is
probably thickening. Slow down to give
traffic behind you a chance to slow
down.
Everybody then has a better chance to
avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only
for a few feet (meters) or for miles
(kilometers); you can't really tell while
you're in it. You can only treat the
situation with extreme care.
One common fog condition-sometimes
called mist or ground fog-can happen
in weather that seems perfect, especially
at night or in the early morning in valley
and low, marshy areas. You can be
suddenly enveloped in thick, wet haze
that may even coat your windshield. You
can often spot these fog patches or mist
layers with your headlights. But
sometimes they can be waiting for you
as you come over a hill or dip into a
shallow valley. Start your windshield
wipers and washer to help clear
accumulated road dirt. Slow down
carefully.
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