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. (See “Off-Road
Driving’’ in the Index for information about driving
off-road.)
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.
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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.
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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, llke 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.
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