Important Vehicle Characteristics To Know - Suzuki SIDEKICK 2-DOOR HARDTOP - 1995 Owner's Manual

DRIVING TIPS
Wear Your Seat Belts at All Times.
The driver and all passengers
should be properly restrained at all
times, using the seatbelts provid-
ed. Refer to the "SEATBELTS AND
CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEMS"
section for instructions on proper
use of the seat belts.
Never drive while under the in-
fluence of alcohol or other drugs.
Alcohol and drugs can seriously
impair your ability to drive safely,
greatly increasing the risk of injury
to yourself and others. You should
also avoid driving when you are
tired, sick, irritated, or under
stress.
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60A23-07010
IMPORTANT VEHICLE CHARAC-
TERISTICS TO KNOW
Your multipurpose vehicle has handl-
ing characteristics that differ from
those of a conventional passenger
car. For the safety of you and your
passengers, please read the follow-
ing section very carefully.
Multipurpose vehicles such as your new
SUZUKI have higher ground clearance
and a narrower track than conventional
passenger cars, to make them capable of
performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design character-
istics give them a higher center of gravi-
ty than ordinary cars. An advantage of the
higher ground clearance is a better view
of the road allowing you to anticipate
problems. They are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speed as conventional
passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers. As with other vehicles
of this type, failure to operate this vehi-
cle correctly may result in loss of control
or vehicle rollover.
Important Differences Between Your
Multipurpose Vehicle and Ordinary Pas-
senger Cars
* Higher Ground Clearance
The higher ground clearance of your
vehicle enables it to clear off-road
obstacles, such as rocks and tree
stumps, that ordinary passenger cars
can not drive over. An unavoidable
result of this higher ground clearance
is that the vehicle also has a higher
center of gravity. Consequently, your
vehicle will handle differently than a
vehicle with a lower center of gravity.
* Shorter Wheelbase
Along with its higher ground clearance,
your vehicle has a shorter wheelbase
and shorter front and rear overhangs
than the typical passenger car. These
features combine to allow you to drive
your vehicle over hillcrests without
hanging up on them or damaging the
frame and chassis components. The
shorter wheelbase also makes the
steering of your vehicle more respon-
sive than that of vehicles with longer
wheelbases.
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