Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up
to
the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance.
If
you get too close to the
vehicle in front
of
you, you won’t have time to apply
your brakes
if
that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using
Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If
you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if
you don’t have anti-lock,
your first reaction
-
to hit the brake pedal hard and
hold
it
down
-
may be the wrong thing to do. Your
wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t
respond to your steering. Momentum will carry it in
whatever direction
it
was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be
off
the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If
you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing
on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In
an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels.
If
you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease
off
the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control. If you
do
have
anti-lock, it’s different. See “Anti-Lock Brakes.”
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Traction Control System
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only
if
it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle and apply the front brakes to
limit wheel spin.
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