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. 
Keep your  vehicle in good  shape. Check all  fluid 
levels  and also  the  brakes, tires,  cooling system 
and  transaxle.  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. 
L 
CAUTION: 
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.  Coasting  downhill 
in NEUTRAL (N) or with 
the 
ignition 
off is dangerous.  Your  brakes wiU 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  transaxle,  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. 
0 As you go over the  top of a  hill,  be  alert.  There  could  be 
something  in your  lane,  like  a  stalled 
car or  an  accident. 
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. 
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