Moving Off Uphill Tutorial

On your driving test, when performing a downhill start, the examiner will expect you to:

Move off safely and under control on a gradient
use the MSM/PSL routine
check your blind spot for traffic and pedestrians
make balanced use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes, and steering
use the appropriate gear, avoid rolling back

If moving into a flow of traffic, you will need to allow for a bigger gap in the traffic to move into because it will take you longer to build up speed going uphill. You may also need to press the accelerator pedal a little more than you would if moving off on the level. If the car jerks, you need to let the clutch up more slowly or press the accelerator a little more. If the engine revs loudly, use less pressure on the accelerator or let the clutch up a little further.

When driving uphill, the engine has to work harder. This means you will have to accelerate for longer in the lower gears and make upward gear changes promptly so that the car doesn’t slow excessively when you push the clutch pedal down.

Do not let the car roll backward while performing a hill start, as it could prove dangerous. If this happens on your test, you will score a major or minor fault depending on how severe the rollback is.

Driving Uphill

When driving uphill your car will need more power to maintain its speed so you may need to change down a gear. The steeper the hill the lower the gear you should use. A hill is a hazard, so make use of the MSM/PSL routine as you approach the hill. Look for road signs that may tell you how steep the hill is, and for any slow-moving vehicles that are already on the hill. Decide whether you need to change to s lower gear. If so, do so before you start to climb. In comparison to driving on the level, when driving up a hill:

Your brakes will slow your vehicle quicker.
It is more difficult to increase or maintain your speed.
Pressing the clutch will cause the car to slow more.
Releasing the accelerator will cause the car to slow more.
When changing gear your speed will fall more quickly than it would than on the level, so you should try and make the gear change smooth and quick.
Overtaking is likely to be more difficult and your car won’t accelerate as quickly as it would when on level ground. Also oncoming traffic, driving downhill, may be travelling more quickly and will take longer to slow down or stop quickly if necessary

Parking on a Hill

Make sure your handbrake is firmly engaged. If facing downhill, turn the front wheels into the kerb and put the car into reverse gear. If facing uphill turn the wheels away from the kerb and engage first gear.

Warning Signs

When approaching a hill you will see a warning sign that tells you how steep the upward slope is.

The figure shown as a percentage (in the image 20%) tells you the gradient of the slope. So 20% means for every five feet along (horizontal) the road rises one foot (vertical).