Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes
you
downhill,
you’ll
want
to
consider a number of things:
How
steep is the downhill? Will
I
be able
to
maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth‘? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
0
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
What’s at the bottom
of
the hill?
Is
there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If
you
decide
you
can
go
down a hill safely, then try
to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
I
‘
A
CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going dowr!!hiU
can
cause
your brakes to overheat and fade.
This
could cause
loss
of
control and a serious accident. Apply the
brakes lightly when descending
a
hill
and use
a
low
gear to
keep
vehicle
speed
under control.
0
0
Are there some things
I
should not do when
driving down
a
hill?
A:
Yes! These are important because
if
you
ignore them
you
could lose control and have
a
serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take
you
across the incline
of
the
hill.
A
hill
that’s not too
steep
to
drive down may be too steep
to
drive across.
You
could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never
go
downhill
with
the transmission
in
NEUTRAL
(N),
or with the clutch pedal depressed
in
a
manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes
will
have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
4-22
To Next Page
Loading...
