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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, consider:
.
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to
maintain vehicle control?
.
What is the surface like? Smooth? Rough?
Slippery? Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
.
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
.
What is 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, try to keep
the vehicle headed straight down. Use a low gear so
engine drag can help the brakes so they do not have to
do all the work. Descend slowly, keeping the vehicle
under control at all times.
{
WARNING:
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.
Things not to do when driving down a hill:
.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that is not too
steep to drive down might be too steep to drive
across. The vehicle could roll over.
.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
N (Neutral), called free-wheeling. The brakes
will have to do all the work and could overheat
and fade.
Vehicles are much more likely to stall when going uphill,
but if it happens when going downhill:
1. Stop the vehicle by applying the regular brakes
and apply the parking brake.
2. Shift to P (Park) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
3. Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
4. If the engine will not start, get out and get help.
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