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