Hill starts and hills

By the end of this topic you can

• You can move off uphill smoothly without rolling back.
• You can move off downhill under control.
• You can choose the right gear for climbing and descending.
• You can stop and park safely on a hill.

What you need to know and understand

• Uphill, you need more accelerator and a slightly higher biting point to hold the car.
• The handbrake holds the car until you have found the bite and done your checks.
• Downhill, you often move off in second gear, using the footbrake to control speed.
• Change down before a steep climb so the engine does not labour.
• On a steep descent, a lower gear gives engine braking and saves your brakes.
• Your observations are the same as on the level: mirrors, signal if needed, blind spot.

Moving off uphill

1. Clutch down, select first gear.
2. Press the accelerator a little more than on the level and hold it steady.
3. Raise the clutch slowly to the biting point, until the engine note drops and the car settles.
4. Check mirrors, signal if needed and check your blind spot.
5. If clear, release the handbrake. Keep your feet still, then raise the clutch a little more and add accelerator as the car moves.
6. If you start to roll back, put the handbrake on again and find the bite once more.

Moving off downhill

1. Select first or second gear, as your instructor advises, with the footbrake held down.
2. Do your checks.
3. Release the handbrake while holding the car on the footbrake.
4. Ease off the footbrake and raise the clutch smoothly as the car rolls forward.
5. Control your speed with the footbrake and gears.

Parking and driving on hills

When parking on a hill, apply the handbrake firmly and leave the car in gear: first if facing uphill, reverse if facing downhill. Turn the wheels so that if the car moved it would roll into the kerb, not into the road.

Approaching the top of a hill, slow down and keep left, because you cannot see what is over the crest. Never overtake near the brow of a hill.

Common mistakes

• Not using enough accelerator, so the car stalls.
• Releasing the handbrake before reaching the biting point, so the car rolls back.
• Lifting the clutch too far too quickly, causing a lurch.
• Riding the brakes all the way down a long steep hill instead of using a lower gear.

Test yourself: Hill starts and hills

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Good Driving Practice in Ireland
• Hill Starts Explained
• Hill Starts Explained