Dealing with hills

Generally speaking, most experienced drivers have no problems with hills and so this short section does not go into great detail.

The basic advice is use a lower gear... Going up to give you extra power, going down to assist the braking through engine compression.

Perhaps another obvious, but sometimes overlooked point about hills is that you can't see over the top of them!

The image on the right shows a warning sign near the brow of a hill advising drivers of the hidden danger ahead.

The defensive driving advice about the brow of a hill is to treat it in the same way as you would treat a blind bend – be prepared for anything!

The final bit of general advice about hills is to respect them in poor weather conditions. Many drivers get caught out on bends where there is a 'cross-fall' of water; water always follows the most straightforward path as it flows downhill, often when the road goes around a bend, the water goes straight of and flows across the road. This can be especially dangerous in the winter where sheets of ice can form on bends.

If you have not already done so, print and complete your Training Outcomes Worksheet for this unit - you might wish to revise your outcomes before practicing uphill and downhill starts.

Next: Step 2 - Eco driving and descending hills safely.