Toyota RAV4 (RHD) - MMC, Owner'S Manual

Page: 371 / 646

370 4-6. Driving tips

Specific design characteristics
give it a higher center of gravity
than ordinary passenger cars.
This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be
more likely to rollover. And, utility
vehicles have a significantly
higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.

An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view
of the road allowing you to antici-
pate problems.

It is not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as ordinary
passenger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are
designed to perform satisfactorily
under off-road conditions. There-
fore, sharp turns at excessive
speeds may cause the vehicle to
rollover.
When driving your vehicle off-road,
please observe the following pre-
Utility vehicle precau-
tions
This vehicle belongs to the
utility vehicle class, which has
higher ground clearance and
narrower tread in relation to
the height of its center of grav-
ity to make it capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-
road applications.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■ Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of death,
serious injury or damage to your vehi-
cle:
● In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to die
than a person wearing a seat belt.
Therefore, the driver and all pas-
sengers should always fasten their
seat belts.
● Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible.
Failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly may result in loss of control or
vehicle rollover causing death or
serious injury.
● Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier (if equipped) will make the
center of the vehicle gravity higher.
Avoid high speeds, sudden starts,
sharp turns, sudden braking or
abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover due to failure to operate this
vehicle correctly.
● Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your vehi-
cle is more sensitive to side winds
than an ordinary passenger car.
Slowing down will allow you to have
better control.
● Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your
vehicle (or any similar off-road vehi-
cle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Off-road driving