Hills and mountains

By the end of this topic you can

• You can use a lower gear to help control speed on long downhill grades.
• You can avoid overheating your brakes.
• You can judge when it is not safe to pass near a hill crest or curve.
• You can park on a hill with your wheels turned the right way.

What you need to know and understand

• On long downgrades, a lower gear lets the engine help slow the car so you rely less on the brakes.
• Riding the brakes for a long time can overheat them and cause brake fade, where they stop working well.
• Do not coast downhill in neutral: you lose engine braking and some control.
• Never pass where you cannot see far enough ahead, such as near the top of a hill or on a curve.
• Runaway truck ramps are for vehicles that have lost their brakes: never stop or park in them.
• When parking downhill, turn your front wheels toward the curb. When parking uphill with a curb, turn them away from the curb. With no curb, turn them toward the edge of the road.
• Rules on who yields on narrow mountain roads vary by state: check your state manual.

Going down without cooking your brakes

1. Slow down before the top of a long or steep downgrade, watching for warning signs that show the grade.
2. Shift into a lower gear. In an automatic, use the low or L range, or the manual mode, as your owner's manual describes.
3. Use the brakes in firm, steady applications to slow down, then ease off, rather than pressing lightly all the way down.
4. Keep an eye on your speed and following distance, and give large trucks extra room.
5. If the brakes feel soft or smell hot, find a safe place to stop and let them cool.

Climbing, crests and passing

Going uphill, you may need more gas to hold your speed, and heavy trucks will slow down. Watch for climbing or truck lanes on the right, which let slower vehicles move over.

As you approach a crest, you cannot see what is on the other side: an oncoming car, a stopped vehicle or a person. Keep right, ease off, and never pass. A solid yellow line on your side marks a no-passing zone, but even without one, passing near a hill top is unsafe.

Mountain road hazards

• Sharp curves: slow down before the bend, using advisory speed signs.
• Drop-offs with little or no guardrail: keep your eyes on your lane, not the view.
• Falling rocks, snow and ice at higher elevations, even when lower roads are clear.
• Turnouts: use them to let faster traffic by or to stop safely for views.
• Thinner air at high altitude can make engines less powerful and people more tired.

Common mistakes

• Riding the brakes all the way down a long hill: use a lower gear and firm, short braking.
• Shifting to neutral to coast: keep the car in gear.
• Passing near the crest of a hill: wait until you can see the road ahead.
• Parking on a slope with the wheels straight: turn them correctly and set the parking brake.
• Stopping in a runaway truck ramp: it must stay clear for emergencies.

Test yourself: Hills and mountains

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