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. (See “Off-Road
Driving’’ in the Index for information about
driving
off-road.)
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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.
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.
l 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 hin.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and
your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
0 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.
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
e 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.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
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