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What should you do when driving down a steep hill?

I recently moved to a mountainous area and some of the hills are no joke! I could use a few pointers. What should you do when driving down a steep hill?

avatar
Maxine Boyko · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Oh boy, steep hills can be challenging—but with the right tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be king or queen of the hill in no time.
Let’s break down techniques for both
manual and automatic
.
If you aren’t careful while driving a manual car downhill, your vehicle can pick up higher speeds and get out of control. When you go down a steep hill, remember these steps:
  • Shift to the lowest gear
  • Don’t brake. Instead, allow the engine to control the speed on low gear so you don’t damage your brakes.
  • Once you are near the bottom of the hill, shift to a higher gear, overtake, and then shift to normal gear once you’re at the bottom.
If you’re driving an automatic you should:
  • Shift into second gear to reduce your speed before downshifting (this will prevent damage to the transmission).
  • Brake
  • Release the brake, then slowly pump the brake until you’ve neared the bottom of the hill.
  • Shift into drive. If you’re still going too fast, brake and downshift into first gear.
  • When you get to level ground, shift back into drive.
Ta-da! You’re well on your way.
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