GMC SIERRA 1993 Owners Manual

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Road Signs
The rbad signs you see everywhere are coded by color, shape a\
nd symbols. It’s a good idea
to know these codes so that you can quickly grasp the basic
meaning
or intent of the sign even before you have a chance to read it.
Color of Road Signs .
. . ? ._ ).+.A; I, -:,x pIill ,3+-.),, . . * ff,, ,%: 1’’ ..::, p.*w: I-$.* . ’ , ’ ” >.F<< :;;:,s::.:;. .., - .. . ’$.,-, , i-, ., .- ., ”.,&.-” :<: . .. . c e-’. .. . . .I :. - % . ._ .. . .I -
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RED means STOP. It may also i..lcate that some movement is not allowed.
Examples are
DO NOT ENTER’ and WRONG WAY.
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YELLOW indicates a general warning. Slow down and be careful when you\

see a yellow sign.
It may signal a railroad crossing ahead, a no passing
zone, or some
other potentially dangerous situation. Likewise, a yellow solid
line painted on th’e road. means “Don’t Cross.”
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Your Driving and the Road
LOW
SHOULDER
WORKERS
AHEAD FLAGGER
AHEAD
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ORANGE indicates road construction or maintenance. You’ll want to slow
down when you see an orange sign, as part of the road may be closed off
or torn up. And there may be workers and maintenance vehicles around, too.
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HOSPITAL
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GREEN is used to guide the driver. Green signs may indicate upcoming
freeway exits or
show the direction you should turn to reach a particular
place.
INFORMATION
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BLUE signs with white letters show motorists’ services.
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CANOEING SWIMMING
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BROWN signs point out recreation areas or points of historic or cultural
interest.
Shape of Road Signs
The shape of the sign will tell you something, too.
A
TOPA
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An OCTAGONAL (eight-sided) sign means STOP. It is always red with white
letters,
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Your Driving and the Road
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A DIAMOND-shaped sign is a warning of something ahead-for example, the
end
of a divided highway, a curve, steep hill, soft shoulder, or a narrow
bridge.
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A TRIANGLE pointed downward, indicates YIELD. It assigns the right-of-way
to traffic on certain approaches to an intersection.
A TRIANGULAR sign also is used on two lane roads to indicate a
NO
PASSING ZONE. This sign will be on the left side of the roadway.
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't
KEEP LEFT OR RIGHT TURN
RIGHT THROUGH ONLY
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RECTANGULAR (square or oblong) signs
show speed limits, parking
regulations, give directions, and such information as distances
to cities.
Symbols on Road Sjgns
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There are many international road signs in use today.
The basic message
of many of these signs is in pictures or graphic symbols.
A picture within a circle with a diagonal line across it shows what NOT to do.
NO U
TURN NO
PARKING NO BICYCLES
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Your Driving and the Road
Traffic Lights
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We’re all familiar with traffic lights or stop lights. Often, green arrow\
s are
being used in the lights for improved traffic control. On some multilane road\
s,
green arrows light up, indicating that traffic in one
or more lanes can move or
make a turn. Green arrows don’t mean “go no matter what.\
” You’ll still need
to proceed with caution, yielding the right
of way to pedestrians and
sometimes to other vehicles.
Some traffic lights also use red arrows to signify that you must stop before
turning on red.
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REVERSIBLE
LANE ON
ROADWAY MULTI-LANE

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Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use reversib\
le-lane
traffic control during rush
hours. A red X light above a lane means no driving
in that lane at that time.
A green arrow means you may drive in that lane.
Look for the signs posted to warn drivers what hours and days these
systems are in effect.
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Pavement Markings
NO PASSING ZONE
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Pavement markings add to traffic signs and signals. They give information to
drivers without taking attention from the roadway. A solid yellow line on your
side
of the road or lane means “don’t cross.”
Your Own Signals
Drivers signal to others, too. It’s not only more polite, it’s safer to let other
drivers know what you are doing. And in some places the law requires driver
signals.
Turn and lane change signals: Always signal when you plan to turn or
change lanes.
If necessary, you can use hand signals out the window: Left arm \
straight out
for a left turn, down for
slow or about-to-stop, and up for a right turn.
Slowing down: If time allows, tap the brake pedal once or twice in advance
of slowing or stopping. This warns the driver behind you.
Disabled: Your four-way flashers signal that your vehicle is disabled or is a
hazard. See “Hazard Warning Flasher” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important informaaon. The officer’s
signals govern, no matter what the traffic lights or other sig\
ns say.
The next part discusses some of the road conditions you may e\
ncounter.
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Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defens\
ively. Please start with a very important safety device in your vehicle: Buckle up,
(See “Safety Belts” in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On\
city streets, rural
roads, or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.’’
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be carel\
ess and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars, often fol\
lowed by other
children. Expect occupants in parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for
movement
in parked cars-someone may be about to open a door,
Expect other drivers to run stop signs when you are on a through street, Be
ready to brake
if necessary as you go through intersections. You may not
have to use the brake, but
if you do, you will be ready,
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot where there are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows, and designated parking are\
as, expect
some drivers to ignore all these markings and dash straight to\
ward one part
of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for them. In general, you must give way
to pedestrians even
if you know you have the right of way.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance.
It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never know when the vehicle in
front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about defensive driving. The most dangerous
time for driving in the
US. is very early on Sunday morning. In fact, GM
Research studies show that the most and the least dangerous times for
driving, every week, fall on the same day. That day is Sunday. The most
dangerous time is Sunday
3 a.m. to 4 a.m. The safest time is Sunday from
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a Sunday at 3 a.m. isn’t
just a little more dangerous than it
is at 10 a.m. It’s about 134 times more
dangerous.
That leads to the next part.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy. It’s
the number one contributor to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of
victims every year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone\
needs to
drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that half of all motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol-a driver, a passenger or someone else, such as a pedes\
trian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. Over
25,000 motor vehicle-related deaths occur
each year because of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is too much
if a person plans to drive? Ideally, no
one should drink alcohol and then drive. But
if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can be a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some general information on the problem.
The
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends upon\

four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol.
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Your Driving and the Road
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According to the American Medical Association, a 180-pound (82 kg) person
who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up
with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC
by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks
if
each had 1-112 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank
three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the
person’s BAC would be close
to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food
just before or during drinking
will have a slightly lower BAC level.
DRINKING THAT WILL 8
RESULT IN A BAC
OF ABOUT .05% IN
~ THE TlME SHOWN 6
7
OF DRINKS
NUMBER ’
(as in picture) 4
3
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1 i I
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT
IN POUNDS
I 3 HOURS
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YOUR
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The law in most U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In
Canada the limit is 0.08 percent, and in some other countries it’s lower than
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