BUICK RIVIERA 1993 Owners Manual

either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once
you have
avoided the object. You must then be prepared to steer
back to your original lane and then brake to a controlled
stop.
Depending on your speed, this can be rather violent for
an unprepared driver. This is one
of the reasons driving
experts recommend that you use your safety belts and
keep both hands on the steering wheel.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while
you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel
up to 1/4 turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn
your steering wheel to
go straight down the roadway.
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If the shoulder appears to be about four inches (100
mm) or more below the pavement, this difference can
cause problems.
If there is not enough room to pull
entirely onto the shoulder and stop, then follow the same
procedures. But if the right front tire scrubs against the
side of the pavement, do NOT steer more sharply. With
too much steering angle, the vehicle may jump back
onto the road with
so much steering input that it crosses
over into the oncoming traffic before you can bring it
back under control.
Instead, ease off again on the accelerator and steering
input, straddle the pavement once more, then try again.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error
in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
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“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns. If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better
time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and
lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A
broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to
pass (providing the road ahead
is clear). Never cross
a solid line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even
if the road seems empty of approaching
traffic.
If you suspect that the driver of the vehicle you want
to pass isn’t aware of your presence,, tap the
horn a
couple of times before passing.
Do not get too close to the vehiclc 3u want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunny. For one thing, following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space
if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows
or stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
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When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
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Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it may
be slowing down
or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the thee control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose 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 are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Buick’s
three control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too

much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide (as when you turn a corner
on a wet, snow- or ice-covered road), ease your foot
off
the acceleratorpedal as soon as you feel the vehicle start
to slide. Quickly steer the way you want the vehicle to go. If you
start steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out.
As it does, straighten the front
wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel,
or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enoughewater, ice or packed snow on the road to make
a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system
(ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid. Steer the way you want to
go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One reason
is that some drivers are likely to be impaired --
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by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively. Remember, this is the most
dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See “Drunken Driving” in
the Index for more on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare
from headlights behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles. It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle ahead
is going just by looking at its tail’lights.
Slow’’ down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlights can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for’animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place and
rest.
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
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vision. For example, if you spend the day in 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 hi.gh beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlights),
slow down a little. 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.
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contract repeatedly. You might even want to keep a cloth
and some glass cleaner in your vehicle if you need to
clean your glass frequently.
Remember that your headlights light up.far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out
dimly lighted objects.
Just as your headlights should be checked regularly for
proper aim,
so should your eyes be examined regularly.
Some drivers suffer from night blindness
-- the inability
to see in dim light
-- and aren’t even aware of it.
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Driving in the Rain It’s always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain starts to fall while
you are driving. The surface may get
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 blades are 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.
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.
And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll ge\
t even less traction.
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r/d CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’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 puddre of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
I- Hydroplaning
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1 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
Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
going through some car washes can cause problems, too. it has little or no contact with the road.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them. 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 find yourself out of control.
Hydroplaning doesn‘t happen often. But it can if your
tires haven’t much tread or if the pressure in one or

if the pressure in one 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
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careful.
Some Other .Rainy Weather Tips
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Turn on your headlights -- not just your parking
lights
-- to help make you more visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles corning from behind.
You may want to use your headlights even in
daytime if it’s raining hard.
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.)
Driving in Fog, Mist and Haze
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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
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Don’t use your high beams. The light will bounce off
the water droplets that make up fog and reflect back at
you.
Use your defogger.
In high humidity, even a light
buildup of moisture on the inside of the glass will cut
down on your already limited visibility.
Run your
windshield wipers and washer ‘occasionally. Moisture
can build up on the outside glass, and what seems to be
fog may actually be moisture on the outside of your
windshield.
Treat dense fog as an emergency.
Try to find a place to
pull off the road. Of course you want to respect
another’s property, but you might need to put something
between you and moving vehicles
-- space, trees,
telephone poles, a private driveway, anything ,that
removes you from other traffic.
If visibility is near zero and you
must stop but are
unsure whether you are away from the road, tu_m your
lights on, start your hazard warning flasher, and sound your horn at intervals or when you hear approaching
traffic.
Pass other vehicles in fog only if you can see far enough
ahead to pass safely. Even then, be prepared to delay
your pass if you suspect the fog is worse up ahead.
If
other vehicles try to pass you, make it easy for them.