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Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If the vehicle has ABS, it allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. However, if the vehicle does
not have ABS, the first reaction — to hit the brake pedal
hard and hold it down — might be the wrong thing to
do. The wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the
vehicle cannot respond to the driver’s steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the wheels stopped rolling. That could be
off the road, into the very thing the driver was trying
to avoid, or into traffic.
If the vehicle does not have ABS, use a “squeeze”
braking technique. This gives maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. Do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal.
This helps retain steering control. With ABS, it is
different. See Antilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-5.
In many emergencies, steering can help more than
even the very best braking.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
Your vehicle may have an Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system which combines antilock brake, traction
and stability control systems and helps the driver
maintain directional control of the vehicle in most driving
conditions.
When you first start your vehicle and begin to drive
away, the system performs several diagnostic checks to
ensure there are no problems. You may hear or feel
the system working. This is normal and does not mean
there is a problem with your vehicle. The system
should initialize before the vehicle reaches 20 mph
(32 km/h).
If the system fails to turn on or activate, the ESC/TCS
light will be on solid, and the SERVICE STABILITRAK
message will be displayed.
For more information, see Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 3-42.
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