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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 ab.out driving
off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape; Check all fluid
levels and
also
the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These pqrts @a 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 po.or 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
WILII
the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes
w i l l
have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn't work wen. You would then
have poor braking or even none going
down
a hill.
You could crash. Always have your e n b e
running
and your vehicle i n 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.
Stay in
your own
lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills- or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
I
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.
YQU may
see highway signs an
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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