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 fl~lid
levels and also the brakes, tires. cooling system and
transmission. 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.
A
CAUTION:
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.
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, 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.
4-37
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