Driving Your
Vehicle
Your Driving, the Road,
and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle
...........4-1
Driver Behavior
...................4-2
Driving Environment
............4-2
Vehicle Design
...................4-2
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
...........................4-3
Defensive Driving
................4-3
Drunk Driving
.....................4-4
Control of a Vehicle
............4-4
Braking
...............................4-5
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
...................4-6
Braking in Emergencies
......4-6
StabiliTrak
®
System
............4-7
Traction Control
System (TCS)
...................4-8
Steering
..............................4-9
Off-Road Recovery
............4-10
Passing
.............................4-11
Loss of Control
.................4-11
Driving at Night
.................4-12
Driving in Rain and on
Wet Roads
......................4-13
Before Leaving on a
Long Trip
........................4-14
Highway Hypnosis
.............4-14
Hill and Mountain
Roads
.............................4-14
Winter Driving
...................4-15
If Your Vehicle is Stuck
in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow
...........................4-17
Rocking Your Vehicle to
Get It Out
.......................4-17
Loading the Vehicle
..........4-18
Towing
Towing Your Vehicle
.........4-22
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
............................4-23
Towing a Trailer
................4-26
Your Driving, the
Road, and the Vehicle
Driving Your Vehicle
Whenever we drive, we are taking
on an important responsibility.
This is true for any motor
vehicle — passenger car, van,
truck, sport utility. Driver behavior,
the driving environment, and
the vehicle’s design all affect how
well a vehicle performs. But
statistics show that the most
important factor, by far, is how
we drive.
Knowing how these three factors
work together can help you
understand how your vehicle
handles and what you can do to
avoid many types of crashes,
including a rollover crash.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-1