Oldsmobile 2002 Bravada - Manual (Page 217)

4-16
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on
slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to 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 brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Operating Your All - Wheel - Drive
Vehicle (If Equipped) Off Paved Roads
Many of the same design features that help make your
vehicle responsive on paved roads during poor weather
conditions
-- features like the locking rear axle and
all - wheel drive -- help make it much better suited for
off - road use than a conventional passenger car. Its higher
ground clearance also helps your vehicle step over some
off
- road obstacles. But your vehicle doesn’t have features
like special underbody shielding and a transfer case low
gear range, things that are usually thought necessary for
extended or severe off
- road service. This guide is for
operating your vehicle off paved roads.
Also, see “Anti - Lock Brakes” in the Index.
Off - road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some definite hazards. The greatest of these is the
terrain itself.
“Off - roading” means you’ve left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill.
In short, you’ve gone right back to nature.