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Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down, or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and
cannot do. There are some hills that simply cannot
be driven, no matter how well built the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you cannot control your speed.
If you drive across them, you will roll over.
You could be seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt about the steepness,
do not drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it
is one of those hills that is just too steep to climb,
descend, or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge.
On a very small hill, for example, there may be a
smooth, constant incline with only a small change in
elevation where you can easily see all the way to
the top. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper as
you near the top, but you may not see this because the
crest of the hill is hidden by bushes, grass, or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you
approach a hill:
• Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
• Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
• Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
will not have to make turning maneuvers?
• Are there obstructions on the hill that can block
your path, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?
• What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you do not know. It is the smart
way to find out.
• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
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