If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
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 transmission. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not 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.
{CAUTION:
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
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
get so hot that they would not 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 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.
• 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. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
• 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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