Kia Optima: Good driving practices

• Never move the shift lever from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other position with the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be extremely hazardous. Always leave the car in gear when moving.
• Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction. Instead, when you are driving down a long hill, slow down and shift to a lower gear. When you do this, engine braking will help slow down the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may not be engaged.
• Always use the parking brake. Do not depend on placing the transaxle in P (Park) to keep the vehicle from moving
• Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be especially careful when braking, accelerating or shifting gears. On a slippery surface, an abrupt change in vehicle speed can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle to go out of control.
• Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly depressing and releasing the accelerator pedal.

WARNING

• Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is significantly more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering or turning.
• Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of your vehicle at highway speeds.
• Losing control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the roadway and the driver oversteers to reenter the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply. Instead, slow down before pulling back into the travel lanes.
• Never exceed posted speed limits.

WARNING

If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving it forward and backward. Do not attempt this procedure if people or objects are anywhere near the vehicle. During the rocking operation the vehicle may suddenly move forward of backward as it becomes unstuck, causing injury or damage to nearby people or objects.

Moving up a steep grade from a standing start

To move up a steep grade from a standing start, depress the brake pedal, shift the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the appropriate gear depending on load weight and steepness of the grade, and release the parking brake. Depress the accelerator gradually while releasing the service brakes.