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.
0
Keep your vehicle
in
good shape. Check all fluid
levels and
also
the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. 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.
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.
Coasting downhill in
NEUTRAL
(N)
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
Know how to
go
uphill.
You
may want to shift down
to a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill
better.
0
0
0
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
of
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.
4-24
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