GETTING DOWN

IN THIS INSTALMENT OF 4X4 AUSTRALIA’S HOW TO: OFF-ROAD DRIVING SERIES, WE GIVE THE RUNDOWN ON HOW TO SAFELY DESCEND STEEP HILLS

- DEAN MELLOR

AS THE saying goes, “what goes up, must come down” and this is obviously true of four-wheel driving; if you drive up a hill, eventually you’re going to have to come back down. And depending on the conditions, driving downhill can be a lot scarier than driving uphill.

As the vehicle speed picks up on descent, your instinct will be to apply the brakes to slow down, but in particularly steep and slippery conditions this can result in the front wheels locking, which will lead to a loss of steering control … and you definitely don’t want this to happen. Even if the vehicle is equipped with an anti-lock braking system (ABS), stomping on the brake pedal can be next to useless if there’s not much traction available.

There are a few critical things to be aware of before attempting a steep off-road descent. Firstly, take a good look at the terrain ahead, so you are aware of what to expect when driving down the hill and what you need to avoid. You also need to understand how your vehicle works, what features it is equipped with that will aid your descent, and how to best set it up for the terrain ahead.

THE TERRAIN

IN any off-road driving situation, it is important to have a handle on the terrain you’re about to drive. Sometimes you can judge this from the driver’s seat, by looking out the windows and by feeling how the vehicle responds to steering, accelerator and brake inputs; but sometimes the best way to see what’s coming up is to get out of the vehicle and walk the track first.