Driving On Off-Road Hills; Approaching A Hill - Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2003 Owner's Manual

Driving on Off-Road Hills

Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and an understanding of what your vehicle can and can't
do. There are some hills that simply can't be driven,
no matter how well built the vehicle.
{
CAUTION:
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can not control your speed. If
you drive across them, you will roll over. You
could be seriously injured or killed. If you have
any doubt about the steepness, do not drive
the hill.

Approaching a Hill

When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it's one of
those hills that's just too steep to climb, descend or cross.
Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very small hill, for
example, there may be a smooth, constant incline with
only a small change in elevation where you can easily
see all the way to the top. On a large hill, the incline may
get steeper as you near the top, but you may not see this
because the crest of the hill is hidden by bushes, grass or
shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider as you approach
a hill.
•
Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get
sharply steeper in places?
•
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
•
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won't have to make turning maneuvers?
•
Are there obstructions on the hill that can block
your path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
•
What's beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the hill if you don't know. It's the smart way to
find out.
•
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because
they are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
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