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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number of things:
D
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
D
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard
-packed dirt? Gravel?
D
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
D
What’s 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, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
CAUTION:
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.
Q: Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
D
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
D
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal
pressed down in a manual shift. This is called
“free
-wheeling.” Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
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