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
transmission. 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.
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.
A
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 hill. You could crash. Always have your
engine running and your vehicle in 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
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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