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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.
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Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. 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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0
0
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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 transaxle, 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.
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