1997 Oldsmobile Bravada Owner's Manual - Page 142

The traction you can get in a curve depends on the condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Thenyou suddenly accelerate. Both control system -- steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too much of those places. You can lose control. What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down. Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are based on good weather and road conditions. Under less favorable conditions you'll want to go slower. Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come overa hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the time for evasive action -- steering around the problem. Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. (See "Braking in Emergencies''earlier in this section.) It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while y o ~ front ~r wheels are straight ahead. Try to adjust your speed so you can "drive" through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then accelerate gently into the straightaway. 4-10