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Driving and Driver Assistance Systems
WARNING!
Passengers must only travel seated in
the vehicle seats, with the seat belts
fastened. Always check that the driver
and all passengers have the seat belts
correctly fastened.
Safe Driving
Although the vehicle is equipped with
active and passive safety devices, the
driver's conduct is always a decisive
factor for road safety.
Some simple rules for traveling safely
in different conditions are listed below.
Some of them will probably already
5
sound familiar but, in any case, it would
be useful to read them carefully.
Driving at Night
The main guidelines to follow when
driving at night are set out below.
•
Drive carefully. Night conditions
demand more focus and attention.
•
Reduce your speed, especially on roads
with no streetlights.
•
Stop at early signs of drowsiness.
Continuing to drive would be a risk for
yourself and for others. Have a rest
before continuing your trip.
•
Keep the vehicle at a greater distance
from vehicles in front of you than you
would during the day: it is difficult to
266
assess the speed of other vehicles
when you only see the lights.
•
Use the high beams only outside of
densely-populated areas and when you
are sure that they will not disturb other
drivers.
•
When another vehicle is approaching,
switch from high beams (if on) to low
beams.
•
Keep lights and headlights clean.
•
Outside of densely-populated areas,
beware of animals crossing the road.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads are dangerous.
On a wet road all maneuvers are
more difficult since wheel grip on the
road is significantly reduced. This
means that the braking distances
increase considerably and the road grip
decreases.
Some recommendations for driving in
the rain are listed below.
•
Reduce your speed and keep a greater
safety distance from the vehicles in
front of you. High speed may result in a
loss of vehicle control.
•
When driving on wet or slushy roads,
it is possible for a wedge of water to
build up between the tire and road
surface. This is known as hydroplaning
and may cause partial or complete loss
of vehicle control and stopping ability.
To reduce this possibility: slow down if
the road has standing water or puddles.
•
Heavy rain substantially reduces
visibility. In these circumstances, even
during the day, turn on the low beams,
to be more visible to other drivers.
•
Set the air conditioning and heating
system controls on the demisting
function, in order to avoid any visibility
problem.
•
Periodically check the conditions of the
windshield wiper blades.
•
In low grip conditions use "Comfort"
driving mode (see chapters "Drive
Mode" in this section).
•
Avoid driving with ESC OFF as this
could possibly cause a loss of control
of the vehicle.
Driving in Fog
If the fog is dense, avoid traveling if
possible.
When driving in mist, blanket fog or
when there is the possibility of banks of
fog, please consider some advice listed
below.
•
Keep a moderate speed.
•
Even in daytime, turn on the low beams
and rear fog lights. Do not use the high
beams.
•
Remember that fog creates dampness
on the asphalt and thus any type of
maneuver is more difficult and braking
distances are extended.
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