BUICK SKYLARK 1993 Owners Manual

I EX"
144;
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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.
1
HOSPITAL INFORMATION
BLUE signs with white letters show motorists'
services.
/
I CANOEING SWIMMING
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.
An OCTAGONAL
(eight-sided) sign
means
STOP. It is
always red with white F
ST0 P
1
d
letters.
f
I
A DIAMOND-shaped
sign is a warning of
something ahead
- for
example, a
curve, steep
hill, soft shoulder, or a 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.

Symbols on Road Signs
KEEP LEFT OR RIGHT THROUGH RIGHT TURN ONLY
RECTANGULAR (square or oblong) signs show speed
limits, parking regulations, give directions, and such
information as distances to cities.
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
.t
not to do.
diagonal link across
--
it
shows wha
142

Traffic Lights
We’re all familiar with traffic lights or stop lights. Often
green arrows are being used in the lights for improved
traffic control. On some multilane roads, 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.
REVERSIBLE
LANE ON
LANE
ROADWAY
M U LTI-
Many city roads and expressways, and even bridges, use
reversible-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 ir&that lane. ’
and days these systems are in effect. -,i ““ ff. 4 -’ ~‘’ - .. :
1 Look for the signs posted to warn drivers. what bQ.urs. .. . ,.
1 Pavement Markings
NO
PASSING I’
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 mare polite,
it’s safer
to let other drivers know what you are doing.
And in some places the law requires iver si.gnals.
L. ..
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
Flashers” in the Index.
Traffic Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source of important
information. The officer’s signals govern, no matter
what the traffic lights or other
signs say.
The next section discusses some of the Toad conditions
you may encounter.
._ . .-_. ;: , , .c**“jy;, “C.$ -,a,, ..,... ’ : ., - , . ,.> p :, , ,. . +.
Defensive Driving $@, *-<; .I i.?;’ * i.
, +& ’ . i *. , .. . I I- ., I.. .. \e. . *, ,
The best advice anyone can give about\driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please
start with a very important safety device in your
Buick: 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
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash out from behind parked cars,
often followed 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. 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
U.S. 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 an the same day. That day is
Sunday. The most dangerous time is Sunday fi-om
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 section.
If you’re driving through a shopping center parking lot
Drunken Driving
where there are well-marked lanes, directional arrows, Death and\
injury associated with drinking and driving is
and designated parking areas, expect some drivers to a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
ignore all these markings and dash straight toward one highway \
death toll, claiming.thousands of victims every
part
of the lot.
year. Alcohol takes away three things that anyone needs
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 to drive a vehicle: Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
145

1 Police records show that half of all motor
I vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol - a driver, a
passenger or someone.else, such as
a pedestrian, had
been drinking.
In most cases, these deaths are the result
1 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.
i 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:
0 How much alcohol is in the drink.
0 The drinker’s body weight.
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
1 during drinking. I
0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol. 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 - 1/2 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.
(as in picture) 4 OF DRINKS
3+
2i 1
DRINKING THAT WILL
IN THE TIME SHOWN
RESULT,IN A BAG OF .O5%
3 HOURS
2 HOURS
HOUR
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
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 that. The BAC
will
be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one
hour).
Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on how much alcohol
is in the drinks, and how quickly the
person drinks them.
But it’s very important to keep in mind that the ability to
drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent.
Research shows that the driving skills of many people
are impaired at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and
that the effects are worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics
show that the chance of being in an accident increases
sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05 percent or
above.
A driver with a~ BAC level of 0.06 percent (three
beers in one hour for a 180-pound or 82 kg person) has
doubled his or her chance of having an accident. At a
BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance of that driver
having an accident is six times greater; at a level
of 0.15
percent, the chances are twenty-five times greater! And,
the body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the right answer. what if there’s an
emergency, a need to take sudden action, as when a
child darts into the street? A person with a higher BAC
might not be able to react quickly enough to avoid the
collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
-many people don’t know. Medical research shows that

alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries Control of a Vehicle
worse. That’s especially true for brain, spinal cord and
heart injuries. That means that if anyone who has been You have three systems that make
your vehicle go where
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, the you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
than if that person had not been drinking. And we’ve
at the places where the tires meet the road.
already seen that the chance of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers. chance
of being
filled or permanently disabled is higher the accelerator. All three Systems have to do their work
L
A CAUTION:
-
*. ,
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, and judgment will be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You
could have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident i 1
you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink an
drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
1;
Ride home in a cab; or if you’re with a group,
designate
a driver who will not drink.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means‘you can lose control of your vehicle.
148

Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction
time.
-
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about
3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight all play a part.
So do alcohol,
drugs and frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet
(20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; and the condition of your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with care. Some,
however, overwork the braking system with poor
driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This
is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot
of heavy braking.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting your left foot rest
lightly on the brake pedal while driving.
*
149