5-63
Dri
ving y
o
ur v
ehicle
5
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are
going fast enough, your vehicle may
have little or no contact with the road
surface and actually ride on the
water. The best advice is SLOW
DOWN when the road is wet. The
risk of hydroplaning increases as the
depth of tire tread decreases, refer to
“Tire Tread” in chapter 7.
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
reduced.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Reducing the risk of a rollover
Your multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. The specific design
characteristics give them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary vehi-
cles making them more likely to roll
over if you make abrupt turns. Utility
vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehi-
cles. Due to this risk, driver and pas-
sengers are strongly recommended
to buckle their seat belts. In a rollover
crash, an unbelted person is signifi-
cantly more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt.
There are steps that a driver can
make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your
vehicle with heavy cargo on the roof,
and never modify your vehicle in any
way.
Utility vehicles have a signifi-
cantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles. To pre-
vent rollovers or loss of control:
•
Take corners at slower speeds
than you would with a passen-
ger vehicle.
•
Avoid sharp turns and abrupt
maneuvers.
•
Do not modify your vehicle in
any way that you would raise
the center of gravity.
•
Keep tires properly inflated.
•
Do not carry heavy cargo on
the roof.
WARNING
In a rollover crash, an unbelted
person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wear-
ing a seat belt. Make sure all
passengers are wearing their
seat belts.
WARNING
