Off-Road Driving - Chevrolet Silverado 2007 Owner's Manual

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off
the accelerator pedal and quickly steer the
way you want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle may
straighten out. Always be ready for a second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking, including reducing vehicle speed by
shifting to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may not realize the
surface is slippery until your vehicle is skidding.
Learn to recognize warning clues — such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow on the road to
make a mirrored surface — and slow down when
you have any doubt.
Remember: Any Antilock Brake System (ABS)
helps avoid only the braking skid.
394

Off-Road Driving

This off-road guide is for vehicles that have
four-wheel drive. Also, see Braking on page 382.
If your vehicle is an SS Model or does not
have four-wheel drive, you should not drive
off-road unless you are on a level, solid surface. If
your vehicle has 20-inch tire/wheel assemblies,
do not use your vehicle for off-road driving.
See Tires on page 558.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
"Off-roading" means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no road
signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to
nature.