Good Driving Practices

• Never shift the shift lever from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other position with the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never move the shift lever to P (Park) while the vehicle is moving.
• Make sure the vehicle has come to a complete stop before attempting to shift into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Never turn off the vehicle when driving down a hill. This can be extremely dangerous. Always leave the vehicle in gear while driving.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and fail. Instead, when descending a long hill, slow down and shift to a lower gear. When you do this, engine braking will help slow the vehicle.
• Decelerate before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may not engage.
• Always use the parking brake. Do not rely on placing the transmission in P (Park) to keep the vehicle from moving.

WARNING

Exercise extreme caution when driving on slippery surfaces. Be especially careful when braking, accelerating, or shifting gears. On a slippery surface, a sudden change in vehicle speed may cause the drive wheels to lose traction with the road and the vehicle may go out of control.

• Optimum vehicle performance and fuel economy are obtained by smoothly depressing and releasing the accelerator pedal.

WARNING

• Always wear your seat belt! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is much more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds in curves or turns.
• Do not make sudden steering movements, such as abrupt lane changes or quick, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover greatly increases if you lose control of your vehicle at high speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs when two or more wheels leave the paved surface and the driver overcorrects to return to the roadway.
• If your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow down gradually before returning to the roadway.
• Never exceed the speed limit.

WARNING

If your vehicle is stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., you may try to rock the vehicle free by shifting it back and forth between forward and reverse. Do not attempt this procedure if people or objects are near the vehicle. During rocking, the vehicle may suddenly move forward or backward once it breaks free, causing injury or damage to nearby people or objects.

Driving Up a Steep Hill from a Standstill

To start on a steep hill, press the brake pedal, release the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to the D (Drive) position. Select the appropriate gear depending on the load weight and the steepness of the grade, and release the parking brake. Gradually depress the accelerator pedal while releasing the brake pedal.

When starting on a steep hill, the vehicle may tend to roll backward. Shifting the shift lever to 2 (Second gear) will help prevent the vehicle from rolling backward.