Whether you’re a learner driver or an experienced one who still dreads hill starts, our essential guide to moving away on an incline will ensure you pull it off safely every time.
A hill start is exactly what it sounds like — moving off or starting your vehicle while you’re on a hill or any other gradient that isn’t a level road.
Hill starts can be intimidating at first. Not only do they involve measured clutch control but with gravity working against you, your car can roll backwards if the start is not performed correctly.
Even though an increasing number of cars are fitted with Hill Start Assist technology, which we’ll come onto later, it’s still important for all motorists to be able to do it with confidence.
The UK is not a flat countryso, so unless you’re planning on limiting yourself to only driving on flat roads you’re going to have to do a hill start eventually — it’s an accepted part of everyday driving.
The hill start is also included in the practical driving test. Your examiner will ask you to pull over to the side of the road and pull away again, including normal stops at the roadside, pulling out from behind a parked vehicle, and a hill start. You may also have to perform an emergency stop.
