Driving on HillsOff-road driving often takes you up, down, or acrossa hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgmentand an understanding of what the vehicle can andcannot do. There are some hills that simply cannotbe driven, no matter how well built the vehicle.{ CAUTION:Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drivedown them, you cannot control your speed. If youdrive across them, you will roll over. You could beseriously injured or killed. If you have any doubtabout the steepness, do not drive the hill.Approaching a HillWhen you approach a hill, decide if it is too steep toclimb, descend, or cross. Steepness can be hardto judge. On a very small hill, for example, there may bea smooth, constant incline with only a small change inelevation where you can easily see all the way to thetop. On a large hill, the incline may get steeper asyou near the top, but you might not see this becausethe crest of the hill is hidden by bushes, grass, orshrubs.Consider this as you approach a hill:• Is there a constant incline, or does the hill getsharply steeper in places?• Is there good traction on the hillside, or will thesurface cause tire slipping?• Is there a straight path up or down the hill so youwill not have to make turning maneuvers?• Are there obstructions on the hill that can block yourpath, such as boulders, trees, logs, or ruts?• What is beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, anembankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and walkthe hill if you do not know. It is the smart way tofind out.• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often haveruts, gullies, troughs, and exposed rocks becausethey are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.4-17
