Hill And Mountain Roads; Winter Driving - Chevrolet Spark EV 2015 Owner's Manual

9-8 Driving and Operating
Turn off cruise control.

Hill and Mountain Roads

Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain.
Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
electric drive unit.
Keep the vehicle in gear when
going down steep or long hills.
Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.

Winter Driving

Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°
F) when freezing rain begins to fall,
resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated with salt
or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
Traction control should be turned
on. See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-25.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but
apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9-21.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.