surface makes it possible for the vehicle to change its path when you ,turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep the vehicle going in
the same direction. If you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle
on
wet
ice,
you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends
on
the condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through
a
sharp curve.
Then
you suddenly apply
the brakes. Both control systems
-
steering and braking
-
have to do their
work where the tires meet the road. Unless
you
have four-wheel anti-lock
brakes, adding the hard braking can demand
too
much of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing
can
happen if you’re steering through a sharp curve and
you
suddenly accelerate. Those two control systems
-
steering and acceleration
-
can overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road and make you
lose control.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on the brake or
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow
down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based
on good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If
you
need
to
reduce your speed as you approach a curve,
do
it
before you
enter the curve, while your front wheels are straight ahead.
Try
to
adjust your speed
so
you
can “drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to accelerate until
you
are out
of
the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the straightaway.
Steering
in
Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts
out
from between parked
cars and stops right in front of
you.
You can avoid these problems by
braking
-
if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
-
steering around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply
your brakes
-
but, unless you have four-wheel anti-lock, not enough to
lock your front wheels.
It
is better
to
remove as much speed as
you
can from
a possible collision. Then steer around the problem,
to
the left or right
depending on the space available.
4-8
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