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4 E V O p e r a t o r ’ s M a n u a l
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4.2 Driving Practices for Safe Vehicle Operation
In addition to the warnings on the previous page, follow all driving practices explained in this section to
make vehicle operation safer.
4.2.1 General Practices
•
Expect that other road users will make mistakes. Be alert and prepared.
•
Be smooth with vehicle inputs (steering, brakes, accelerator) to help maintain vehicle control and
stability.
•
Adjust your speed according to conditions (weather, road surface, visibility, etc.)
4.2.2 Distracted Driving
Avoid distractions when driving. Do not perform tasks that are not driving related. Keep your eyes on the
road and hands on the steering wheel as much as possible.
4.2.3 Steering
•
Be smooth with the steering wheel. Avoid any aggressive or abrupt maneuvers as these will
negatively affect vehicle stability.
•
Always keep two hands on the steering wheel when possible. This allows for better vehicle
control.
4.2.4 Braking
•
Do not ride the brakes (resting foot on brake pedal while driving or applying pressure to the brake
pedal while accelerating or maintaining speed), this could overheat the brakes, causing the
brakes to be less effective. In addition, this will cause premature wear of the brake pads and
rotors.
•
GO-4 EV vehicles are not equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS). This means that the
wheels can lock under heavy braking in normal traction conditions or under moderate to light
braking if traction is significantly reduced. When a wheel locks it stops rotating and skids across
the road. In general, when wheels lock up the vehicle may slide. If the front wheel locks you will
not be able to steer the vehicle. To regain steering control, reduce pressure on the brake pedal to
allow the front wheel to unlock and rotate. To avoid locking the brakes under heavy braking, use
a quick pulsing motion when applying the brake pedal (quick on and off application). This will
allow for some steering while also slowing the vehicle down.
•
Be careful when applying the brakes for the first few times after driving through standing water
such as puddles, or after any time the brakes may have become significantly wet, such as after
the vehicle has been washed. The vehicle’s brakes will be less effective after becoming
significantly wet. The braking performance should gradually return to normal after several
instances of braking, provided that the brakes do not continue to get significantly wet.
•
Be aware that when travelling on steep or long downhill slopes, depending on how hard and
frequently the brakes are applied to slow vehicle down, the brakes may overheat, which will
cause the brakes to be less effective.
•
Avoid unnecessary heavy braking.
•
Allow enough space to the vehicle in front to slow to a stop in case of an emergency braking
situation. Keep in mind that it takes time to process what is happening around you, decide to
brake and move your foot to apply the brakes.
