Driving experience when encountering steep passes
Driving on mountain passes with sharp turns and limited visibility is a big challenge for drivers, even for experienced drivers.
Therefore, when driving on mountain passes, drivers need to master the techniques, focus on observation and stay calm to handle unexpected situations that may occur.
Experience driving on mountain passes with automatic transmission
Safe climbing
When climbing a pass with an automatic transmission vehicle, the driver only needs to leave the gear in D, at which point the ECU will automatically calculate and shift to the appropriate gear based on the throttle position and speed.
Safe downhill
When going downhill, the car will tend to accelerate due to inertia. Therefore, the driver needs to limit continuous braking, to avoid putting pressure on the brake system, causing overheating, brake burnout, or even brake failure. Instead, you need to use engine braking to control speed safely.
First, the driver needs to switch to manual mode, put it in D3, L2 or M. Once the gear has been shifted, if the car is still going fast, the driver continues to lower the gear to D2, L or M again. After selecting the appropriate gear, the driver can maintain the car speed between 40 - 50 km/h without having to brake continuously.
Continuous up/downhill
When driving on a mountain pass with many steep sections that require continuous up and down, you should choose engine braking. To avoid having to operate the gear lever many times, the driver can apply the formula "up and down".
Experience driving on mountain passes with manual transmission
When the car climbs the pass
When climbing a hill with a manual transmission vehicle, you need to shift the vehicle to a lower gear to increase traction. Depending on the slope of the pass, you can adjust the gear to climb the pass accordingly.
In addition, the driver needs to coordinate the clutch, accelerator and gear smoothly to maintain the vehicle's momentum without overloading the engine. You need to adjust the engine speed to suit the vehicle's capacity and load (usually above 2,000 rpm but below 3,000 rpm).
When the car goes downhill
When going downhill, you need to use the engine brake with the principle of "whichever gear you go up, that gear you go down". If the speed of the car going downhill is still fast, continue to shift to a lower gear. When going downhill, if you encounter a less steep section, the car is held back, at this time the driver needs to press the clutch to let the car run freely for a short distance, then release the clutch to brake the car with the engine.
Notes when driving safely on mountain passes
- Check the fuel and safety system of the vehicle: There are usually very few fuel stations on the mountain pass, so before driving, the driver needs to check if the vehicle has enough fuel or not. Besides, you should also carefully check the vehicle's safety system such as: brakes, tires, lighting system, electricity, oil, etc. If there are any unusual signs, you should take the vehicle for timely maintenance.
- Follow the principle of going up and downhill: Before going uphill, drivers should stop the car to let the engine cool down. Then, let the car idle, turn on the heater in the car, and do not open the radiator cap.
When climbing a hill, drivers should maintain a suitable speed, concentrate on driving, observe traffic signs and slow down when going through curves. Drivers can also apply the general principle of “going uphill in the same gear as going downhill in the same gear”, and to ensure safety, they should avoid continuously applying the brakes.
- Not sticking to the dividing line
When participating in traffic, drivers must drive in the correct lane. However, with narrow, winding mountain passes, with a deep abyss on one side and a cliff on the other, you should not drive close to the dividing line. The reason is that if you drive close to the dividing line, you will encounter dangerous confrontations, especially when cornering or when it is raining heavily, fog will make the road slippery and visibility will be limited, there will be no way to avoid it in time and the possibility of collision with oncoming vehicles is very high.
The safe way to drive a car on mountain roads is to leave space between the dividing lines to have space to handle unexpected risky situations.
- Keep a safe distance and give way to other vehicles: Mountain passes are often narrow, so drivers need to give way to other vehicles to limit congestion and collisions. You should only overtake in safe conditions and determine the time to return to the correct lane after overtaking.
Drivers also need to pay special attention to keeping a distance from the vehicle in front, especially for vehicles with large loads such as trucks, containers...
- Drive slowly, observe carefully when cornering: According to statistics, most accidents while driving on steep mountain passes often occur at corners. The main cause is due to carelessness of the driver, not observing, driving over the speed limit, encroaching on the road, recklessly overtaking... when cornering.
To avoid unfortunate accidents, when approaching a curve, drivers need to slow down, observe the surroundings, look in the convex mirror and honk to signal other vehicles, make a round turn, do not cross into the opposite lane and do not stick too close to the center line.
- Do not stop in the middle of the mountain pass: The mountain pass is very narrow and there is no place for cars to park, and this is also prohibited by law. Therefore, if a driver illegally parks in the middle of the road, even if he parks neatly on the side of the road, he can still endanger himself and cause accidents for other vehicles.
According to shared driving experience when driving on mountain passes, you are only allowed to stop or park in emergency situations and are required to turn on the warning lights or horn, keep obstacles at least 50 meters away or try to drive to the stop according to regulations.
- Bring drinking water and rest many times: When traveling on mountain passes, dividing the journey into many stages will help the driver have time to rest, and the engine will also be cooled. In addition, you also need to prepare drinking water to stay alert, focus more when driving, avoid fatigue, motion sickness due to not being familiar with the new road and altitude.
- Pay attention to danger signs
When driving, drivers need to pay special attention to the danger signs posted by the authorities on the road. This helps drivers proactively control unexpected situations that may occur, calmly handle them and ensure safety for their journey.
- Before going up a mountain pass, drivers should carefully check the following factors:
Check tire pressure and wear. If you see that your car tires have been used for more than 5-6 years and are worn, you should replace them to ensure a safe trip.
Check the brakes, brake system, brake pads, brake fluid... If you see any unusual signs such as: noisy brakes, heavy brakes, low brake pedal, you need to take the vehicle in for inspection and maintenance.
Check the wipers, because the wipers have the function of cleaning the windshield, ensuring visibility for the driver. Therefore, before going on a mountain pass, you should check the wipers and replace them if they are damaged.
Check your fuel as there are few gas stations on mountain passes. Therefore, it is best to fill up before starting your journey.
