Hazardous driving conditions

When you encounter water, snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar hazards on the road, follow these suggestions:

• Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.

• Avoid sudden braking or steering.

• Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehicle equipped with ABS.

• If you are stalled in snow, mud, or sand, shift to 2nd gear and accelerate slowly to avoid spinning the drive wheels.

• Use sand, rock salt, or another nonslip material under the drive wheels to provide traction when you are stalled in ice, snow, or mud.

Reducing the risk of a rollover

This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. SUVs generally have higher ground clearance and sometimes a narrower track width to make them capable of performing in a wide variety of offroad applications.

Specific design characteristics can give SUVs a higher center of gravity than conventional passenger vehicles. An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road, which allows you to anticipate problems.

SUVs are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional passenger vehicles, any more than low-slung sports vehicles can perform satisfactorily in off-road conditions. Due to this risk, you and your passengers are strongly recommended to buckle your seat belts.

In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. To reduce the risk of a rollover while you are driving:

• If possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.

• Do not load your roof rack with heavy cargo.

• Never modify your vehicle in any way.

Rocking your vehicle

If it is necessary to rock your vehicle to free it from snow, ice, sand, or mud, first turn the steering wheel right and left to clear the area around your drive wheels. Then shift the gear back and forth between R (Reverse) and any forward gear.

Do not rev the engine or spin the wheels. If you are still stuck after a few tries, have your vehicle towed out to avoid overheating the engine and causing possible damage to the transmission.

Smooth turning

Avoid braking or shifting gears while turning, especially when roads are wet. Ideally, you should always turn with gentle acceleration. Following these suggestions minimizes wear on your tires.

Driving at night

Because night driving is more hazardous than driving in the daylight, follow these important tips:

• Slow down and keep more distance between you and other vehicles, as it may be more difficult to see at night, especially in areas without any street lights.

• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other drivers’ headlights.

• Keep your headlamps clean and properly aimed at vehicles that are not equipped with the automatic headlight aiming feature. Dirty or improperly aimed headlamps will make it much more difficult to see at night.

• Avoid staring directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. You could be temporarily blinded, and it will take several seconds for your eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Driving in the rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous, especially if you are unprepared for the slick pavement.

When driving in rain, consider the following:

• A heavy rainfall makes it harder to see and increases the required stopping distance for your vehicle, so slow down.

• Keep your windshield wiping equipment in good shape. Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or miss areas of the windshield.

• If your tires are not in good condition, stopping quickly on wet pavement can cause you to skid and possibly lead to an accident. Be sure your tires are in good shape.

• Turn on your headlights to make it easier for others to see you.

• Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must drive through puddles, try to drive through them slowly.

• If you believe your brakes are wet, lightly engage the brake pedal while driving until braking operation returns to normal.

Hydroplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are driving fast enough, your vehicle may have little or no contact with the road surface and ride on the water. The best advice is to SLOW DOWN when the road is wet.

The risk of hydroplaning increases as the depth of tire tread decreases. Refer to Tires and wheels.

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 after driving through water because it may affect brake performance.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by gently applying them several times while your vehicle is moving slowly.

Highway driving