India has a vast topography which comprises of plains, plateaus, hills, mountains, deserts, coastal regions and what not! The majority of the population of our country is based in the plain regions and is fed up with the scorching heat. During the summers, almost every one wishes to pick up their cars and run up to the nearby hills or mountains for a cool breeze! So, here is a detailed guide on driving in the hills and mountains.
Prepare Yourself!
A stitch in time saves nine! Always drive with full preparation when landing in the hills. The driver should ensure being quenched with enough sleep so as to stay active throughout the journey. Hills and mountains are all about enjoying the journey as well as the transforming landscapes you encounter after initiating every turn. Travelling tired is not only going to make you miss these landscapes but would also make the journey more stressful mentally.
Prepare Your Car!
Hilly and mountainous terrains are enjoyable only when your car is in a decent condition. After all, no one wants unwanted alignment issues or suspension squeaks. Before driving off to the hills, you should ensure that your car's clutch is in a good condition and the brake pads have a decent amount of life left on them. Moreover, you should also have a look at all the fluids in the vehicle, most importantly the engine oil level and coolant level. You should refrain from leaving items loosely on the dashboard or in different compartments as they might fall off while initiating a turn and create a mess while driving.
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Never Drive At A Stretch!
You might like driving down the roads for longer stretches of time, but do not try this in the hills. As the hills and mountain terrains require you to stay active all the time with entire control in your hands, you need to stay attentive enough. You should avoid exertion in a single go and take breaks after short distances.
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Always Wear Shoes While Driving!
While driving in the hills, you are surely heading to relax yourself, but is relaxing while driving good? There is a decent amount of footwork involved while travelling in these hills and mountains. If you are in a manual, you would have to change gears frequently and strengthen your calves. Slippers tend to be rubbery and might slip off from the pedals or may get stuck in the pedals while driving which can be a fatal misfortune. So, you should refrain from wearing slippers while driving in the hills and mountains.
Recognising the Clutch Bite!
This phenomenon is known by multiple names like half clutch or the clutch bite as well. As many vehicles in India do not feature hill climb assist as standard, you ought to do the footwork by your own selves. So as to gain motion effectively, you need to recognise the clutch bite while driving uphill. This comes in handy when you stop on an incline and have to ride ahead. An accurate clutch bite is important as releasing the pedal sooner than intended may cause the vehicle to stall and eventually roll back, and releasing the clutch way later at higher RPMs may cause it to wear out soon and even burn down if your clutch plate is old enough.
Do Not Use Cruise Control!
Driving on the winding roads requires a significant amount of braking, accelerations and decelerations. So, you should refrain from using cruise control while driving in the hills as it would disengage on pressing the brakes. It is better to keep the entire control in your hands by pressing the throttle yourself.
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Stay In Your Lane and Look as far as You can!
Most hilly roads are single lane roads and you need to stay attentive. Whenever you come across a landscape where you can see the road further, you should have a glance at the entire stretch to see if there are any vehicles coming. This can also help to judge sharp turns in between and you can be prepared for different situations. Precautionary, you should always stay in your lane as that is always the safest bet.
Reduce Blind Spots in Your vehicle!
You should ensure not to hang goodies from your Interior Rear View Mirror (IRVM) as they tend to create hindrance while initiating a turn to the left. Moreover, you should adjust your seat in such a way that the A pillar does not become a blind spot for oncoming traffic as this is one of the major reasons for accidents. If the A pillar of your car is intrusive enough, you should adjust the seat in a way where you can use the window glass to see through as well.
Avoid Overtaking on Blind Curves!
Better late than never! Hills are filled with surprises every now and then. Overtaking on blind curves can be fatal for you as well as other commuters on the road. You should overtake only at stretches which are visible for a longer distance and can be judged easily. Do ensure to have enough visibility and a road wide enough for you to overtake.
Never Ride Downhill in Neutral Gear!
In some instances, you might feel that engine braking is enough to restrict your speed and you can slot into neutral and use the brakes. This is one of the most fatal ideologies as the brakes tend to heat up due to constant braking and they might lose their braking potential with time. This dangerous practice in order to save fuel can even cost your lives in worst case scenarios. So, you should refrain from doing so and let the transmission do its job as it would not let you lose traction at any instant.
Alert the Drivers on road!
Driving in the hills and mountains does require concentration and other drivers on road might be concentrating on their own track, thus ignoring other commuters. You should keep your horn handy while initiating a blind curve to intimate other commuters on road. At night, you should use your passing lights instead of using your horn and creating a ruckus in the peaceful hills.
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Always Use Low Beam at night!
This is a practice which should be religiously followed irrespective of the terrain you are driving in, but you should double check this while driving in the hills at night. Your high beams might create a blinding effect for other commuters on road thus making it difficult for them to maintain their calm too! Night driving is termed to be the safest in the hills as you are able to judge almost all turns with traffic on the basis of oncoming lights, but this can be recognised only if you yourself have your beams dipped.
