Driving Lessons for Up 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 back

Up Hill Starts

Moving off on a gradient demands good co-ordination of the gas pedal, clutch and handbrake, for the obvious reasons that without it you will roll backwards and you will fail your practical test. The normal routine for moving off away from the kerb applies, Mirrors-Signal-Position-Speed-Look

Select first gear, bring the clutch to the 'biting point' and apply higher-than-usual revs. Check your mirrors, make sure too, that there are no pedestrians about to cross the road immediately behind your car , check over your right shoulder then if a signal is needed then give it.

If it is safe to move off, release the handbrake and let the clutch bite a little more - enough to get the car rolling forward, but not enough to cause the car to jerk. Give a bit more gas as the car moves off, letting the clutch come right up as the car gathers speed.

Remember that it will be harder for the engine to overcome an extra load up the hill (like when you ride a cycle up a hill, you have to pedal a lot harder). Therefore, you must build up more momentum than usual in first gear before changing, and be sure not to fumble selection, otherwise all momentum will be lost.

Lastly if you signalled check that the indicator has cancelled, then drive the car normally and engage higher gears when required.