BUICK SKYLARK 1993 Owners Manual

Avoid staring directly into the approaching lights. If
there is a line of opposing traffic, make occasional
glances over the line of headlights to make certain that
one of the vehicles isn’t starting to move into your lane.
Once you are past the bright lights, give your eyes time
to readjust before resuming speed.
High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its high beams on,
signal by flicking yours to high and then back to low
beam. This is the usual signal to lower the headlight
beams. If the other driver still doesn’t lower the beams,
resist the temptation to put your high beams on. This
only makes two half-blinded drivers.
On
a freeway, use your high beams only in remote areas
where you won’t impair approaching drivers. In some
places, like cities, using high beams is illegal.
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Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require
at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day @ bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. ,Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night.
But
if you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night.
They may cut down on glare from headlights, but they
also make a lot of things invisible that should remain
visible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even trains blocking railway crossings. You may want to
put on your sunglasses after
you have pulled into a
brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes
shielded from that glare may adjust more quickly to
darkness back on the road: But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before you leave the service area.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights.
It can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or
a vehicle with misaimed headlights),
slow down a little.
..
When you follow another vehicle on a freeway or
highway, use low beams. True, most vehicles now have
day-night mirrors that enable the driver to reduce glare. But outside mirrors are not
of this type and. rh beams
from behind can bother the driver ahead.
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A. Few ,More Night Driving Suggestions Driving in the Rain
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out
dimly lighted objects.
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Just as your headlights should be checked regularly for
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
proper aim,
so should your eyes be examined regularly. road you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
Some drivers suffer from night blindness
-- the inability
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
to see in dim light
-- and aren’t even aware of it. And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction.
It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious
if rain
starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get
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wet suddenly when your reflexes are tuned for driving
on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper bladesare in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge of the road, and even
people walking. Road spray can often be worse
for
vision than rain, especially if it comes from a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good
shape and keep your windshield washer tank filled.
Replace your windshield wiper inserts when they
show
signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the inserts.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles. But
if you can't, try to slow down before you hit them.

A CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. The: ton’t
work well in
a quick stop and may cause pulling
to one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
car wash, apply your brake pedal ligh rtil
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
You might not be aware of hydroplaning. You could drive
along for some time without realizing your tires aren’t in
constant contact with the road. -You could find out the
hard way: when you have to slow, turn, move out to,pass
-- or if you get hit by a gust of wind. You could suddenly
fiid yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in ?ne or more
is low. It can happen
if a lot of water is standing on the road. If you can
see reflections from trees, telephone
poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface, there could
be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to
slow down when it is raining, and be
careful.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
0 Turn on your headlights -- not just your parang
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
0 Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and
be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
If the road spray is so heavy you are
actually blinded, drop back. Don’t pass until
conditions improve. Going more slowly is better
than having an accident.
Use your defogger if it helps.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See “Tires” in the Index.)
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Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
Fog can occur with high humidity or heavy frost. It can
be
so mild that you can see through it for several
hundred feet (meters). Or it might be
so thick that you
can see only a few feet (meters) ahead. It may come
suddenly to an otherwise clear road. And it can be a
major hazard.
When you drive into a fog patch, your visibility will be
reduced quickly. The biggest dangers are striking the vehicle ahead or being struck by the one behind. Try
to
“read” the fog density down the road. If the vehicle
ahead starts to become less clear or, at night,
if the
taillights are harder to see, the fog is probably
thickening. Slow down to give traffic behind you a chance to slow down. Everybody then has a better
chance to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead.
A patch of dense fog may extend only for a few feet
(meters) or for miles (kilometers); you can’tyeally tell
while you’re in it. You can only treat the situation with
extreme care.
One common fog condition
-- sometimes called mist or
ground fog
-- can happen in weather that seems perfect,
especially at night or in the early morning in valley and
low, marshy areas. You can be suddenly enveloped
in
thick, wet haze that may even coat your windshield. You
can often spot these fog patches or mist layers with your
headlights. But sometimes they can be waiting for you
as you come over a hill or dip into a shallow valley.
Start your windshield wipers and washer, to help clear
accumulated road dirt. Slow down carefully.
Tips on Driving in Fog
If you get caught in fog, turn your headlights on low
beam, even in daytime. You’ll see
-- and be seen --
better. Use your fog lights if your vehicle has them.

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going.
Try not to drive around trying to pick out a familiar
street or landmark. Get a city map and plan your trip
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Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you expect to
blend with the flow. If traffic is light, you may have no
problem. But if it is heavy, find a gap as you move along
the entering lane and time your approach. Try to merge
into the gap at close to the prevailing speed. Switch on
your turn signal, check your rearview mirrors as you
move along, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
If you are on a
two-lane freeway, treat the right lane as the slow lane
and the left lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane freeway, treat the right lane as
the slower-speed through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through lane, and the left lane as the
passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your rearview mirrors.
Then use your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle in your
“blind” spot.
If you are moving from an outside to a center lane on a
freeway having more than two lanes, make sure another vehicle isn’t about to move into the same spot.
Look at
the vehicles two lanes over and watch for telltale signs:
turn signals flashing, an increase in speed, or moving
toward the edge of the lane. Be prepared
to delay your
move.
Once
you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Freeway
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. Dashing across lanes at the last
minute is dangerous. If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane. Ideally it
should be long enough for you to enter it at freeway
speed (after signaling, of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit ramp.
Unfortunately, not all deceleration lanes are long enough
-- some are too short for all the braking. Decide when to
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start bralung. If you must brake on the through lane, and
if there
is traffic close behind you, you can allow a little
extra time and flash your brake lights (in addition to your turn signal) as extra warning that you are about to
slow down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at higher speeds,
you may tend to think you are going slower than you
actually are. For example,
40 mph (65 km/h) might
seem like only
20 mph (30 km/h). Obviously, this could
lead to serious trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 krn/h)!
Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are made on freeways,
there are still many made on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and regular
highways is the same in some ways. The trip has to be
planned and the vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are longer turns
behind the wheel. You’ll enjoy your trip more if you and
your vehicle are
in good shape. Here are some tips for a
successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Buick dealerships all across North America. They’ll be
ready and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
0 Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
WiDer Blades: Are they in good shape/
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
0 Lights: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
0 Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for long-distance driving?
Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
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Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good to share the
driving task with others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours at a sitting.
Then, either change drivers or stop for some refreshment
like coffee, tea or soft drinks and some limbering up.
But do stop and move around. Eat lightly along the way.
Heavier meals tend to make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided multilane highways
that do not have controlled access;you’ll want to watch
for some situations not usually found on freeways.
Examples are: stop signs and signals, shopping centers with direct access to the highway, no passing zones and
school zones, vehicles turning left and right
off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
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There is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors frequently and your instruments from time to time.
This can help you
avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light. Glare can cause
drowsiness. But don’t wear sunglasses at night. They will drastically reduce your overall vision at the very
time you need all the seeing power you have.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace with traffic and
allow adequate following distances.
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