KIA Sportage 2008 User Manual

Page 231

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Driving tips

Approaching a hill

When you approach a hill, you need
to decide if it’s one of those hills
that’s just too steep to climb,
descend, or cross. Steepness can be
difficult to judge. On a very small hill,
for example, there may be a smooth,
constant incline with only a small
change in elevation where you can
easily see all the way to the top. On
a large hill, the incline may get steep-
er as you near the top, but you may
not see this because the crest of the
hill is hidden by bushes, grass, or
shrubs.

Here are some other things to con-
sider as you approach a hill:
• Is there a constant incline, or does

the hill get sharply steeper in
places?

• Is there good traction on the hill-

side, or will the surface cause tire
slipping?

• Is there a straight path up or down

the hill so you won’t have to make
turning maneuvers?

• Are there obstructions on the hill

that can block your path (boulders,
trees, logs or ruts)?

• What’s beyond the hill? Is there a

cliff, an embankment, a drop-off, or
a fence? Get out of the vehicle and
walk the hill if you are unsure. It’s
the smart way to find out.

• Is the hill simply too rough? Steep

hills often have ruts, gullies,
troughs, and exposed rocks
because they are more susceptible
to the effects of erosion.

• How have weather conditions

affected the terrain? Is there likely
to be mud, snow or ice on the hill?

• What time of day is it? Are temper-

atures dropping so that wet sur-
faces will start to freeze?