Defensive Driving; Control Of A Vehicle; Braking - Chevrolet 2012 Malibu Owner's Manual

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Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favourite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information
into any navigation device prior
to driving.
.
Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.
Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.
Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.
Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a mobile
phone.
{
WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the Infotainment section for
more information on using that
system, including pairing and using
a mobile phone.

Defensive Driving

Defensive driving means "always
expect the unexpected." The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the safety belt. See Safety Belts on
page 2‑12.
.
Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
Driving and Operating
.
Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you.
.
Focus on the task of driving.

Control of a Vehicle

Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.

Braking

Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second.
In that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a
lot of distance in an emergency.
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