BUICK ROADMASTER 1993 Owners Manual

If your brake pedal goes down farther man normal, your
rear drum brakes may need adjustment. Adjust them by
backing
up and firmly applying the brakes a few times.
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Braking in Emergencies I
Use your anti-lock braking sysKem when you need to. .
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you .more. than
even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering a ssist becau Lse
the engine
stops or the system fails to function, you can steer but
it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take- curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the same laws of physics. when driviqg on curves. The
traction
of the tires agairist the road s.urface makes it
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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.
When you drive into a curve at night, it’s harder to see
the road ahead
of you because it bends away from the
straight beams
of your lights. This is one good reason. to
drive slower.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped
in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out
f-rom 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 Buick can perform very well in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes. 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,

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
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 y.our 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.
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vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues -
such as enough water, 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
-
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision prob1ems;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 taillights,
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.
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Night Vision
'No one can see as we11 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 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
yisible
- such as parked cars, obstacles, pedestrians, or
even train5 blocking railway crossings. You mzy want to
put on
your sunglasses -after ,you have pulled into a
brightly-lighted service or refreshment area. Eyes shie1ded.from that glare
may adjust.more quickly to
darkne,ss back on the road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before
you leave the service area.
When you .follow another vehicle
on a freeway or
highday, use low beams. True, most vehic1e.s now.have,
day-night mirrors that enable the driver to reduce glare.
But outside mirrors are not
of this type and.high beams
from behind can bother the driver ahead.
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Driving in the Rain
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The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. nven if your
windshield wiper blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
,can make it harder to see road signs and traffid. 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 frum a dirty road.
So it is wise to keep your wiping equipment in good i.
shape and :keep your windshieklwasher 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. 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 I
,A CA JTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't
work well in a quick stop and may cause pl ng
to one side.
Yo Zould lo! eo - *oI of -- 3
vehicle.
After driving thro
-=-- -i la.,e p-Jdle 0. ,later
a car wash, apply your brake aedal liahtly unt
1 Iur brakes work normal
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