Driving Across
an
Incline
Sooner or later,
an
off-road trail will probably
go
across
the incline
of
a
hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things to consider:
A
hill
that can be driven straight up or down may be
too
steep to drive across. When you go straight up or
down
a
hill,
the
length of the wheel base (the
distance from
the
front wheels to the rear wheels)
reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end.
But
when you drive across an incline, the
much more narrow track width (the distance between
the left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an
incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause
a downhill slide
or
a rollover.
Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across
a
hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to
slip
sideways, downhill.
If
the vehicle slips sideways,
it
can
hit
something
that will trip it
(a
rock,
a
rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness
of
the
incline even worse. If you drive across
a
rock
with
the uphill wheels, or
if
the downhill wheels drop into
a rut or depression, your vehicle can
tilt
even more.
For
reasons like these, you need to decide carefully
whether to
try
to drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean you
have
to
drive it. The last vehicle
to
try
it
might have
1-01
led over.
Driving across an incline that’s too steep
will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If
you have any doubt
about the steepness
of
the incline, don’t drive
across it. Find another route instead.
4-24
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