night vision PONTIAC GRAND-PRIX 1993 Owners Manual

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.
If you have the anti-lock braking
system, remember: It helps avoid only
the braking skid.
If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where
the wheels are no longer rolling),
release enough pressure on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the
brake pedal down steadily when you
have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control. 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 hom headlights
behind you.
II
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.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
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.
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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 tale 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 time 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 Few More Might 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
pur 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 the 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 male it harder to
see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the
edge
of the road, and even people
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On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is good
to share the driving task with others.
Limit turns behind the wheel to about
100 miles (160 lm) or two hours at a
sitting. Then, either change drivers or
stop for some refreshment like coffee,
tea or soft drinks and some limbering
up. But do stop and move around. Eat
lightly along the way. Heavier meals
tend to make some people sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for some situations not usually found
on freeways. Examples are: stop signs
and signals, shopping centers with
direct access to the highway, no passing
zones and school zones, vehicles
turning left and right off the road,
pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles,
and even animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is
it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or
whatever.
There is something about an easy
stretch of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum of the tires
on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in
less than a
second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you
do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead
and to the sides. Check your
rearview mirrors frequently and your
instruments from time to time. This
can help you avoid a fixed stare.
Wear good sunglasses in bright light.
Glare can
cause drowsiness. But don’t
wear sunglasses at night. They will
drastically reduce your overall vision
at the very time
you need all the
seeing power
you have.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For
safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as
an emergency.
As in any driving situation, keep pace
with traffic and allow adequate
following distances.
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