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Driving on 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 the 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, decide if it
is 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 might
not see this because the crest of the
hill is hidden by bushes, grass, or
shrubs.
Consider this 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.
Driving Your Vehicle 4-17