1998 Oldsmobile Achieva Owner's Manual - Page 162

a Check your mirrors, glance overyour shoulder, and In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer ana or constantly seek an escape route area of less danger. start your left lanechange signal beforemoving out of the right lane pass. When you are farenough to ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front your in inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back into the right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than itreally is.) a Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time Skidding In a skid, a driver canlose control of the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and by not "overdriving" those conditions. But skids always possible. are The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's three control systems. In thebraking skid, your wheels aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a curve causestires to slipand lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin. A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next vehicle. a Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may be slowing down or starting toturn. a If you're being passed, make it easy for the following driver to getahead of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right. If you have the Enhanced Traction System, remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, or if the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal. Loss of Control Let's review what driving expertssay about what happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked. 4-14