Driving is more of a passion for many people in India. Long rides make them feel good, but driving on a hill makes some of them go pale. The question is why people fear from driving on the hills? And the question is valid enough with the answer being the huge amount of risk involved. Even a small wrong shift in the gear can lead to an accident. So one wonders, how to drive a car in hills? Hereby mentioned are a few safe driving tips especially when one is driving up or down a mountain road.
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Gears: Use lower gears both in the case of an uphill and a downhill drive. Don’t ever over-speed in any case, or leave the car in a neutral position or shut off the engine while coming down the slope. Try maintaining a constant speed at lower gears.
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Stay to your left: This is a common condition that one needs to keep in his mind while driving on mountains. Though the roads are narrow, it doesn’t imply that one has to drive in the centre lane and restrict the path of other drivers. Always stay in your lane to avoid any traffic.
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Don’t stop midway to enjoy the scenery: Even if you want to enjoy the landscape, you can pull over on the escape ramps that are specially built for these purposes. Stopping in the midway can lead to an unwanted situation.
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Overtaking: Proper overtaking constitute a part of many safe driving tips. Overtaking in the hilly areas is one of the trickiest tasks. Check the front and rear sides of your car before overtaking, and start overtaking only after giving proper signals.
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Speed Limit: Always remain under the speed limit. It will help you in braking instantly, in case a vehicle is coming from the other side. The zig-zag roads leave the driver uninhibited of the knowledge as to when a car will appear in front of him.
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Take Breaks: Never drive on a slope when you are tired. Calmness needs to be followed. Sleep deprivation only adds to the misery. So, take proper rest, stay calm and then try riding the car up or down the hill. Frequent breaks will also help you in getting refreshed.
One needs to keep these car driving tips in mind while travelling up or down the hill. The abovementioned tips are answers to the question of how to drive a car in hills. These may help everyone maintain a good level of safety as well.
