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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.
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.
A
/I\
CAUTION:
I f 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.
I
/I\
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 get
so
hot that
they
wouldn't work well. You would then
have
poor
braking
or
even none
going
down a
h i l l .
You could crash. Always have your engine
running
and your vehicle
in
gear when
you go
downhill.
e
e
e
e
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.
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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