You're driving a car fitted with automatic transmission. What should you do when you approach a very steep downhill gradient?
- A Remain in 'D' (Drive) and keep the speed in check with the footbrake
- B Slow down and use the gear selector to hold the car in a low gear
- C Slow down, so that the automatic transmission changes down to a lower gear
- D Use 'kick-down' to change the vehicle into a lower gear
Why this is the answer
A vehicle fitted with an automatic transmission usually changes to a higher gear as its speed increases and to a lower gear as it falls. It will also change down to a lower gear going uphill, as the load on the engine increases. However, there are times when you need to stay in a low gear even if the speed is constant and the load is light - for example, when going down a steep hill. The system normally tries to change to a higher gear in these situations; you're usually able to override the system by using the gear selector to stay in a low gear.
Why the other answers don't fit
- A
- Remain in 'D' (Drive) and keep the speed in check with the footbrake — Holding speed on the footbrake all the way down is how brakes overheat.
- C
- Slow down, so that the automatic transmission changes down to a lower gear — An automatic left to itself changes up as the car gains speed on a hill.
- D
- Use 'kick-down' to change the vehicle into a lower gear — Kick-down is for brisk acceleration, not for holding speed down a hill.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 22
Rule numbers link to The Highway Code on gov.uk.
Where this question comes from
The question, its options and the explanation are reproduced word for word from the DVSA revision question bank under licence. The licence requires them to appear unaltered, so we cannot reword them and neither can anyone else — that is why you will meet the same wording on other sites. Everything else on this page is written by Theory Hub: the explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong, the topic guide and the revision notes.
Asked in: Driving Instructor (ADI Part 1)
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