Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow Or Ice - GMC Hummer H3 2008 Owner's Handbook Manual

DRIVING IN MUD, SAND,
SNOW OR ICE
When you drive in mud, snow, ice
or sand, your wheels won't get
good traction. You can't acceler-
ate as quickly, turning is more diffi-
cult, and you'll need longer
braking distances.
It's best to use a low gear when
you're in mud - the deeper the
mud, the lower the gear. In really
deep mud, the idea is to keep your
vehicle moving so you don't get
stuck.
Be careful to keep mud from build-
ing up and washing onto the
engine cooling system.
When you drive on sand, you'll
sense a change in wheel traction.
This will depend, however, upon
how loosely packed the sand is.
On loosely packed sand (as on
beaches or sand dunes) your tyres
will tend to sink into the sand. This
has an effect on steering, acceler-
ating and braking.
Drive at a reduced speed.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns
or abrupt manoeuvres.
Hard packed snow and ice offer
the worst tyre traction. On these
surfaces, it's very easy to lose
control. On wet ice, for example,
the traction is so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if
you do get moving, poor steering
and difficult braking can cause you
to slide out of control.
Section 3
CAUTION
Driving on frozen lakes, ponds
or rivers can be dangerous.
Underwater springs, currents
under the ice, or sudden thaws
can weaken the ice. Your vehi-
cle could fall through the ice
and you and your passengers
could drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe surfaces only.
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