4-23
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number of things:
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How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to
maintain vehicle control?
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What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard
-packed dirt? Gravel?
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Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs? Boulders?
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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.
CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill 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.
Q: 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.
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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.
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Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free
-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Q: Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here’s what to do.
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Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
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Shift to PARK (P) and, while still braking,
restart the engine.
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Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
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If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
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