Pontiac 2007 Torrent - Manual (Page 318)

Traction control improves your ability to accelerate
when driving on a slippery road. But you can turn
the traction system off if you ever need to. You
should turn the traction system off if your vehicle
ever gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. See If
Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow
on page 320. Even though your vehicle has a
traction system, you will want to slow down and
adjust your driving to the road conditions. Under
certain conditions, you may want to turn the traction
system off, such as when driving through deep
snow and loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle
motion at lower speeds. See Traction Control
System (TCS) on page 297 and StabiliTrak
®
System on page 298.
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have ABS,
you will want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. See Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS) on page 295.
• Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
• Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
fine until you hit a spot that is covered with
ice. On an otherwise clear road, ice patches
may appear in shaded areas where the sun
cannot reach, such as around clumps of trees,
behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes
the surface of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of
you, brake before you are on it. Try not
to brake while you are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are
near help and you can hike through the snow. Here
are some things to do to summon help and keep
yourself and your passengers safe:
• Turn on your hazard flashers.
• Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
• Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around
you. If you do not have blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
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