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The traction you can get in
a
curve depends
on the
condition
of
your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve
is
banked,
and your
speed. While
you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems
--
steering and braking
--
have to do ~ e i r
work where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking
can demand too much of those places. You can
lose control.
The
same
thing
can happen if
you're
steering through
a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
--
steering and acceleration
--
can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed, Of course, the posted
speeds are
based on good weather and road conditiolls. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it b'efore you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can "drive" through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you
are
out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than
braking. For example, you come over a hill
and find
a
truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out
from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked
cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problem
by
braking
--
if
you can
stop in time. But
sometimes you,can't; there isn't room. That's the
t i m e for
evasive action
--
steering around the problem.
Your Pontiac can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes
--
but, unless you have
anti-lock, not enough
to
lock your wheels. (See
"Braking in Emergencies" earlier in this section.) It is
better t'o remove as much speed as you can from a
possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to
-the
left 'or right depending on the space available.
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