Light hills are usually overcome without a second thought. Problems may occur on bigger ones. How to climb efficiently? Check the rules!
Our driving skills are of course already tested during the driving test. One of them is driving uphill. Because of the mistakes we make, exams are often terminated at this stage. How to start off safely and efficiently? First of all, in order to prevent the car from rolling down the hill, you should apply the hand brake while holding the foot brake and clutch. In first gear, let go of the handbrake, keep the revs at about 3000, then gently release the clutch, and then the handbrake. There is no great philosophy here, of course, but practice makes perfect
It’s a common misconception that you have to pump the accelerator hard before going up a steep hill, but that’s not true. The correct thing to do is to add gas only when you’re on the actual climb. Otherwise, apart from the safety aspect, you’ll often exceed the speed limit and burn more fuel. If the engine speed drops when going up a hill, it’s time to downshift. How do I maintain a smooth ride? When the road levels off, we gradually take our foot off the accelerator, and on its decline – we no longer use it completely, so that the car begins to brake with the engine. If the car is moving at too high a speed on the descent, we reduce the gear, before gently braking. What we need to remember here is not to keep the brake pressed all the time when going downhill. Long braking can easily overheat your brakes
Many drivers find it difficult to cope with large hills, especially in winter. The main rule when driving in winter is to maintain a greater distance between cars, and in addition all maneuvers should be done more calmly and slowly. Such action will allow us to ensure a greater margin for error. Not all drivers know that changing gears on a slippery, sloping surface is also dangerous. Letting go of the clutch with inadequate throttle power can lead to wheel spin. What’s the solution to safely negotiating hills despite slippery surfaces? Choose the right gear – you should stick to the same gear on an uphill and downhill run. The right gear must be selected based on your own judgement. In practice it is also worth waiting until the car in front of us enters the hill. This will significantly improve our safety
Sometimes the intersection you’re trying to exit is on an incline. How can you exit the intersection smoothly without rolling over into a car behind you? Here the situation is similar to that during a driving test. After pressing the clutch and selecting first gear, we gradually press the gas and release the clutch. When we think that the car will move easily, we lower the handbrake. Theoretically, there is nothing difficult here. In practice – at crossroads there are too often stressful situations, so it is sometimes difficult to overcome the hill smoothly. This is especially true for young drivers
What if, despite good knowledge of theory and practical exercises, we still don’t manage to drive effectively uphill? We can always buy additional hours with an instructor. Many driving schools also organize training, during which you can test your skills, for example in controlled skidding conditions. If all this is not enough, we can also bet on a car with automatic transmission. Here the ride is usually smooth, and starting uphill is not accompanied by uncontrolled car slide
