The traction you can get in a curve depends on thecondition of your tires and the road surface, the angle atwhich the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’rein a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Thenyou suddenly accelerate. Both control systems —steering and acceleration — have to do their work wherethe tires meet the road. Adding the sudden accelerationcan demand too much of those places. You can losecontrol. SeeStabilitrak®System on page 4-10.What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up onthe accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way youwant it to go, and slow down.If you have Stabilitrak® , you may see the STABILITYSYSTEM ACTIVE message on the message center. See“Stability System Active Message” underDIC Warningsand Messages on page 3-62.Speed limit signs near curves warn that you shouldadjust your speed. Of course, the posted speedsare based on good weather and road conditions. Underless favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.If you need to reduce your speed as you approach acurve, do it before you enter the curve, while your frontwheels are straight ahead.Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through thecurve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait toaccelerate until you are out of the curve, and thenaccelerate gently into the straightaway.Steering in EmergenciesThere are times when steering can be more effective thanbraking. For example, you come over a hill and find atruck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls outfrom nowhere, or a child darts out from between parkedcars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid theseproblems by braking — if you can stop in time. Butsometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time forevasive action — steering around the problem.Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies likethese. First apply your brakes.SeeBraking on page 4-6. It is better to remove as muchspeed as you can from a possible collision. Thensteer around the problem, to the left or right dependingon the space available.4-14
