Steering In Emergencies - Pontiac 1998 Sunfire Owner's Manual

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 accelerate. Both control
systems
--
steering and acceleration
--
have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden
acceleration can demand too much of those places. You
can lose control. Refer to "Enhanced Traction System"
in the Index.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the
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 conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you'll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before 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 problems by braking
--
if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's
the time for evasive action
--
steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. (See "Braking in
Emergencies" earlier in this section.) It is better to
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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