Driving Across an InclineSooner or later, an off-road trail will probably goacross the incline of a hill. If this happens, you haveto decide whether to try to drive across the incline.Here are some things to consider:• A hill that can be driven straight up or down may betoo steep to drive across. When you go straight upor down a hill, the length of the wheel base — thedistance from the front wheels to the rearwheels — reduces the likelihood the vehicle willtumble end over end. But when you drive across anincline, the much more narrow track width — thedistance between the left and right wheels — maynot prevent the vehicle from tilting and rolling over.Also, driving across an incline puts more weight onthe downhill wheels. This could cause a downhillslide or a rollover.• Surface conditions can be a problem when you driveacross a hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wetgrass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill.If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something thatwill trip it — a rock, a rut, etc. — and roll over.• Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of theincline even worse. If you drive across a rock with theuphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into a rutor depression, your vehicle can tilt even more.For reasons like these, you need to decide carefullywhether to try to drive across an incline. Just because thetrail goes across the incline does not mean you have todrive it. The last vehicle to try it might have rolled over.{CAUTION:Driving across an incline that is too steep willmake your vehicle roll over. You could beseriously injured or killed. If you have anydoubt about the steepness of the incline, donot drive across it. Find another route instead.Q: What if I am driving across an incline that is nottoo steep, but I hit some loose gravel and startto slide downhill. What should I do?A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,turn downhill. This should help straighten out thevehicle and prevent the side slipping. However,a much better way to prevent this is to get out and“walk the course” so you know what the surfaceis like before you drive it.4-26
