Driving Lessons for Down Hill Starts

Blue School of Motoring can tailor a driving course that will help you cope with all of the following. Your driving instructor can help you with this.

When you can move off safely and smoothly on a level road, the next stage is to move off on a hill.

• Move off safely and under control on a gradient
• Use the MSPSL 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 forward

Downhill Starts

The approved method of making a downhill start is to use the footbrake to hold the car during take-up of the clutch.

The normal safety checks and signals are required, but the technique differs from a uphill start in the later stages.

To move off, engage first gear, second gear is permissible if the hill is very steep. With the clutch pedal right down ( depressed), fully apply the footbrake. Keeping both pedals depressed, Do your checks to make sure its safe to move off Mirrors-Signal-Position-Speed-Look not forgetting to look over your right shoulder.

If all is safe, release the handbrake and find the biting point with the clutch pedal. Now slowly release the footbrake. The car should begin to move, so let the clutch come fully home and transfer your right foot away from the brake pedal onto the gas. How much gas you need depends upon the steepness of the hill.

A steep down hill gradient may require you stay in second gear, otherwise third gear is the highest likely to be needed, so you can keep control of the car.