Honda 2003 Accord Owner's Manual page 245

Towing a Trailer
Driving Safely With a Trailer
The added weight, length, and
height of a trailer will affect your car's
handling and performance, so
driving with a trailer requires some
special driving skills and techniques.
For your safety and the safety of
others, take time to practice driving
maneuvers before heading for the
open road, and follow the guidelines
discussed below.
Towing Speeds and Gears
Drive slower than normal in all
driving situations, and obey posted
speed limits for cars with trailers. If
you have an automatic transmission,
use D position when towing a trailer
on level roads. D is the proper shift
3
lever position to use when towing a
trailer in hilly terrain. (See ''
on Hills '' in the next column for
additional gear information.)
242
Driving
Making Turns and Braking
Make turns more slowly and wider
than normal. The trailer tracks a
smaller arc than your car, and it can
hit or run over something the car
misses. Allow more time and
distance for braking. Do not brake or
turn suddenly as this could cause the
trailer to jackknife or turn over.
Driving on Hills
When climbing hills, closely watch
your temperature gauge. If it nears
the red (Hot) mark, turn the air
conditioning off, reduce speed and, if
necessary, pull to the side of the
road to let the engine cool.
If the automatic transmission shifts
frequently while going up a hill, shift
to D .
3
Driving
If you must stop when facing uphill,
use the foot brake or parking brake.
Do not try to hold the car in place by
pressing on the accelerator, as this
can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat.
When driving down hills, reduce
your speed and shift down to 2nd
gear. Do not ''ride'' the brakes, and
remember it will take longer to slow
down and stop when towing a trailer.