0
0
If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here
are
some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down
hills.
The most important
thing to know is this:
let
your engine do some of
the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
1
A
CAUTION:
If
you don't shift down, your brakes could get
so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would
then have poor braking or even none going
down
a
hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let
your engine assist your brakes on
a
steep
downhill slope.
I
Coasting
downhill
in
NEUTRAL
or with the
ignition
off
is
dangerous. Your brakes
will
have to
do
all
the work
of
slowing down. They could get
so
hot that they wouldn't work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down
a
hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine
running
and your vehicle
in
gear when you go
downhill.
0
0
0
0
Know how to
go
uphill. You may want to
shift
down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the
hill
better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills
or
mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center
of
the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As
you go over the top of a
hill,
be alert. There could be
something
in
your lane, like a stalled car or
an
accident.
You
may see highway signs on mountains that
warn
or
special problems. Examples
are
long grades, passing
or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or winding
roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate action.
4-22
To Next Page