Pontiac Sunbird Owner's Manual page 145

Your Driving and the Road
Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called
thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the
safest of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep
to the right. Drive at the same speed
most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a
smooth traffc flow. Treat the left lane
on a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp
that leads to the freeway. If you have a
clear view of the freeway as you drive
along the entrance ramp, you should
begin to check traffic. Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the flow.
If traffic is light, you may have no
problem. But if it is heavy, find a gap as
you move along the entering lane and
time your approach. Try to merge into
the gap at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch on your turn signal, check your
rearview mirrors as you move along,
and glance over your shoulder as often
as necessary. Try to blend smoothly
with the traffc flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust
your speed to the posted limit or to the
prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay in the
right lane unless you want to pass. If
you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the
right lane as the slow lane and the left
lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat
the right lane as the slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through lane, and the left
lane as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your
rearview mirrors. Then use your turn
signal. Just before you leave the lane,
glance quickly over your shoulder to
make sure there isn't another vehicle in
your "blind" spot,