Pontiac Grand Am (2002 year). Manual - part 11

4-2

Defensive Driving

The best advice anyone can give about driving is: 
Drive defensively.

Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. See “Safety Belts” in the Index.

Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”

Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.

Rear

-

end collisions are about the most preventable 

of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.

Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate 
on the driving task. Anything that distracts from the
driving task 

--

 such as concentrating on a cellular

telephone call, reading, or reaching for something on the
floor 

--

 makes proper defensive driving more difficult

and can even cause a collision, with resulting injury.
Ask a passenger to help do things like this, or pull off
the road in a safe place to do them yourself. These
simple defensive driving techniques could save 
your life.

4-3

Drunken Driving

Death and injury associated with drinking and driving 
is a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.

Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive 
a vehicle:
D Judgment
D Muscular Coordination
D Vision
D Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle

-

related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,

these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, about 16,000 annual motor
vehicle

-

related deaths have been associated with the use

of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.

Many adults 

--

 by some estimates, nearly half the adult

population 

--

 choose never to drink alcohol, so they

never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it’s
against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.

The obvious way to solve the leading highway safety
problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then
drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much”
if the driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many
might think. Although it depends on each person 
and situation, here is some general information on 
the problem.

The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
D The amount of alcohol consumed
D The drinker’s body weight
D The amount of food that is consumed before and

during drinking

D The length of time it has taken the drinker to

consume the alcohol.

According to the American Medical Association, a
180

-

lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12

-

ounce 

(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4

-

ounce (120 ml) glasses

of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1

-

1/2 ounces

(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

4-4

It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who
consumes food just before or during drinking will have 
a somewhat lower BAC level.

There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have
a lower relative percentage of body water than men.

Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a
woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a
man of her same body weight when each has the same
number of drinks.

The law in an increasing number of U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the 
United States is 0.04 percent.

The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to 
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and 
how quickly the person drinks them.

But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills of
many people are impaired at a BAC approaching 
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of 
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having 
a collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance
of this driver having a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!

4-5

The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.

There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking 

--

 driver or passenger 

--

 is in a crash, that

person’s chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.

CAUTION:

Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious 

--

 or even 

fatal 

--

 collision if you drive after drinking.

Please don’t drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you’re with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.

4-6

Control of a Vehicle

You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.

Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means you can lose control
of your vehicle. Also see “Enhanced Traction System”
in the Index.

Braking

Braking action involves perception time and 
reaction time.

First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That’s perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That’s reaction time. 

Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that’s only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.

And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.

4-7

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts 

--

 heavy acceleration followed by heavy 

braking 

--

 rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a

mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.

If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)

Your vehicle has anti

-

lock brakes. ABS is an advanced

electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.

When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti

-

lock brake system will check itself. You

may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves or pulses a little. This is normal.

If there’s a problem with the
anti

-

lock brake system, this

warning light will stay on.
See “Anti

-

Lock Brake

System Warning Light” 
in the Index.

4-8

Let’s say the road is wet and you’re driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s what happens
with ABS:

A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.

The anti

-

lock system can change the brake pressure

faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.

As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.

4-9

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

With anti

-

lock, you can steer and brake at the same

time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.

Enhanced Traction System (ETS)

Your vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) 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 to limit wheel spin.

This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See “Enhanced
Traction System Active
Light” in the Index.

You may feel or hear the system working, but this is
normal. This light will also come on when the anti

-

lock

brake system is working.

If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
re

-

engage the cruise control. See “Cruise Control” 

in the Index.

4-10

The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you’ve
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See “Automatic Transaxle” in the Index.

When the system is on and
the parking brake is fully
released, this warning light
will come on to let you
know if there’s a problem.

See “Enhanced Traction System Warning Light” in 
the Index. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.

To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the system 
off if you prefer.

To turn the system on or off, press the ETS button on the
instrument panel.

When you turn the system off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light will come on and stay on. If the
Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button to turn the system off, the warning
light will come on 

--

 but the system won’t turn off right

away. It will wait until there’s no longer a current need
to limit wheel spin.

You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Enhanced Traction System
warning light should go off.

4-11

Steering

Power Steering

If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer 
but it will take much more effort.

Variable Effort Steering (If Equipped)

This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and at low vehicle speeds. Steering effort will
increase at higher speeds for improved road feel.

Steering Tips

Driving on Curves

It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.

A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:

Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road 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 accelerate. Both control 
systems 

--

 steering and acceleration 

--

 have to do 

their work where the tires meet the road. Adding the
sudden acceleration can demand too much of those
places. You can lose control. Refer to “Enhanced
Traction System” in the Index.

What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on 
the 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.

4-12

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. See “Braking in
Emergencies” earlier in this section. 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.

An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.

The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving 
at all times and wear safety belts properly.

4-13

Off

-

Road Recovery

You may find that your right wheels have dropped 
off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while 
you’re driving.

If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so
that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You
can turn the steering wheel up to one

-

quarter turn until the

right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your
steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.

Passing

The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two

-

lane highway waits for just the right moment,

accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?

Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two

-

lane

highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error 
in judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger
can suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents 

--

 the head

-

on collision.

So here are some tips for passing:
D “Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides 

and to crossroads for situations that might affect 
your passing patterns. If you have any doubt
whatsoever about making a successful pass, wait 
for a better time.

D Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.

If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even if the road seems empty of approaching traffic.

4-14

D Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to 

pass while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a larger
vehicle. Also, you won’t have adequate space if the
vehicle ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.

D When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,

start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.

D If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait

your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.

D Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and

start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

D Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time 

on two

-

lane roads. Reconsider before passing the

next vehicle.

D Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.

Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

D If you’re being passed, make it easy for the

following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.

4-15

Loss of Control

Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.

In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to 
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area 
of less danger.

Skidding

In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.

The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.

A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot 
off the accelerator pedal.

If you have the Enhanced Traction System, remember: 
It helps avoid only the acceleration skid.

If you do not have the Enhanced Traction System, or if
the system is off, then an acceleration skid is also best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want 
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.

Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.

While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to a lower gear). Any
sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You may not
realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle is
skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues 

--

 such as

enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to make a
“mirrored surface” 

--

 and slow down when you have 

any doubt.

Remember: Any anti

-

lock brake system (ABS) helps

avoid only the braking skid.

4-16

Driving at Night

Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. 
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be 
impaired 

--

 by alcohol or drugs, with night vision

problems, or by fatigue.

Here are some tips on night driving.
D Drive defensively.
D Don’t drink and drive.

D Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the

glare from headlamps behind you.

D Since you can’t see as well, you may need to 

slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

D Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your

headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

D In remote areas, watch for animals.
D If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place 

and rest.

No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50

-

year

-

old

driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20

-

year

-

old.

What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes 
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a 
lot of things invisible.

4-17

You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even 
several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn’t lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid staring
directly into the approaching headlamps.

Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean 

--

 inside and out. Glare at night is made much

worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.

Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness 

--

 the inability to see in dim light 

--

 and 

aren’t even aware of it.

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads

Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble. On a wet
road, you can’t stop, accelerate or turn as well because
your tire

-

to

-

road traction isn’t as good as on dry roads.

And, if your tires don’t have much tread left, you’ll get
even less traction. It’s always wise to go slower and be
cautious if rain starts to fall while you are driving. The
surface may get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.