Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an area that is safe
and close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
skills. Here is what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen
for unusual tire or engine sounds. With your arms,
hands, feet, and body, you will need to respond to
vibrations and vehicle bounce.
Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful off-road
driving. One of the best ways to control your vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are some things to keep
in mind. At higher speeds:
•
You approach things faster and you have less time
to scan the terrain for obstacles.
•
You have less time to react.
•
You have more vehicle bounce when you drive over
obstacles.
•
You will need more distance for braking, especially
since you are on an unpaved surface.
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CAUTION:
When you are driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw
you out of position. This could cause you to
lose control and crash. So, whether you are
driving on or off the road, you and your
passengers should wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are some things to
consider.
Surface Conditions: Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow,
or ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration, and braking of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning,
delayed acceleration, poor traction, and longer braking
distances.
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Summary of Contents for 2008 Envoy Denali
Page 74: ... NOTES 1 70 ...
Page 137: ... NOTES 3 3 ...
Page 138: ...Instrument Panel Overview 3 4 ...
Page 238: ... NOTES 3 104 ...
Page 308: ...When you open the hood on the 5 3L V8 engine here is what you will see 5 14 ...
Page 416: ... NOTES 5 122 ...
Page 431: ...Engine Drive Belt Routing 4 2L V6 Engine 5 3L V8 Engine 6 15 ...
Page 454: ... NOTES 7 20 ...