Subaru 2006 Baja - Manual (Page 302)

8-9
Driving tips
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Off road driving
y Always maintain a safe driving speed accord-
ing to the road and weather conditions in order
to avoid having an accident on a sharp turn,
during sudden braking or under other similar
conditions.
y
Always use the utmost care in driving – over-
confidence because you are driving an All-
Wheel Drive vehicle could easily lead to a seri-
ous accident.
Because of the AWD feature and higher ground clear-
ance, your SUBARU can be driven on ordinary roads
or off-road. But please keep in mind that an AWD
SUBARU is neither a conventional off-road vehicle nor
an all-terrain vehicle. If you do take your SUBARU off-
road, certain common sense precautions such as the
following should be taken:
y Make certain that you and all of your passengers
are wearing seatbelts.
y
Carry some emergency equipment, such as a tow-
ing rope or chain, a shovel, wheel blocks, first aid kit
and cell phone or citizens band radio.
y Drive carefully. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous areas or over rough terrain.
y
Slow down and employ extra caution at all times.
When driving off-road, you will not have the benefit of
marked traffic lanes, banked curves, traffic signs and
the like.
y
Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead, drive ei-
ther straight up or straight down the slopes. A vehicle
can much more easily tip over sideways than it can
end over end. Avoid driving straight up or down slopes
that are too steep.
y
Avoid sharp turning maneuvers, especially at higher
speeds.
y
Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure
your hands. Instead drive with your fingers and
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
y
If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and
the bottom of the stream bed for firmness and ensure
that the bed of the stream is flat. Drive slowly and com-
pletely through the stream. The water should be shal-
low enough that it does not reach the vehicle’s under-
carriage. Water entering the engine air intake or the
exhaust pipe or water splashing onto electrical parts
may damage your vehicle and may cause it to stall.
Never attempt to drive through rushing water; regard-