Which of the following techniques should you use when driving downhill?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Engage a lower gear, the greater the slope.
Explanation
This question is about the technique for driving down a hill. The steeper the slope, the lower the gear you engage - answer A.
In a low gear, the engine turns fast and, when you take your foot off the accelerator, it brakes the wheels effectively, so the vehicle does not speed up, and the service brakes work only when you need to slow down more. The steeper the slope, the stronger the engine braking you need. Driving downhill without a gear engaged (answer B) takes away engine braking - with a heavy trailer, the brakes quickly overheat and weaken, and the vehicle picks up a speed that is hard to control. A higher gear on a steeper slope (answer C) is the opposite of the correct technique. You choose the gear before you start going down, because changing gear halfway down a steep slope may fail, and the combination then rolls without engine braking.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)