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.
e 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.
I
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 hill.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and your vehicle
in gear when you go downhill.
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.
0 In hilly terrain, you may want to switch to the
PERFORMANCE mode for better performance.
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.
As you go over the top of a hill, be al’ert. There
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