OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1993 Owners Manual

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
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
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving 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.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
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 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 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 high
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 the 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.
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 high beams from behind can
bother the driver ahead.
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A kw More Night Driving
Suggestions
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle clean-inside and out.
Glare at night is made much worse by
dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the
glass can build up a film caused by dust.
Tobacco smoke also makes inside glass
surfaces very filmy and can be a vision
hazard
if it’s left there.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes 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.
Driving in tne Rain
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 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 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
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Your Driving and the Road
I42
Driving in the Rain (CONT:)
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. >riving
too fast through large water
buddles or even going through some car
vashes can cause problems, too. The
vater may affect your brakes. Try
to
[void puddles. But if you can't, try to
low down before you hit them.
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I 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 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 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
Turn on your headlights-not just your
parking lights-to help make you more
visible to others.
Look for hard-to-see vehicles coming
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 the
Index under Tires.) 163
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Your Diving and the Road
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’t really 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.
lips 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.
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
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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, turn your lights on,
start your hazard warning flashers, 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.
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 into an unknown part of
the
city just as you would for a cross-
country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and
crisscross most large cities. You’ll save
time and energy. (See the next section,
Freeway Driving.)
Treat a green light as a warning
signal.
A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just
before you
start to move, check both
ways for vehicles that have not cleared
the intersection or may be running the
red light.
remember that
they are for ideal road,
weather and visibility conditions. You
may need
to drive below the posted
limit in bad weather or when visibility
is especially poor.
clear of intersections when you see
or
hear emergency vehicles.
Obey all posted speed limits. But
Pull to the right (with care) and stop
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Your Driving and the Road
166
Freeway Drivjng
Mile for mile, freeways (also called
thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes,
or superhighways) are the
safest
of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice
on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed
most
sf the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic
flow. Treat the left lane
on
a freeway as a passing lane.
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 heav, 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 fieeway, 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.
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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 Fkeeway
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 start braking.
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 Mh)!
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Driving a Long Distance
Although most long trips today are
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
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168
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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. 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 Oldsmobile 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:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are
all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
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?
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?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
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