Steep Hill / Downgrade
warning sign · diamond · yellow
A steep downgrade is ahead. Check brakes and use a lower gear to control speed.
- Visual breakdown
- Yellow diamond showing a truck descending a ramp, often with a grade percentage.
- Shape recognition
- Diamond with the truck-on-slope pictograph.
- Color recognition
- Yellow warning, frequently paired with USE LOW GEAR plaques.
- Memory trick
- Let the engine hold you back, not the brakes — gears are free, brake pads fade.
- Real-world example
- On a long 6% grade, riding the brakes overheats them; shifting down (even in an automatic) keeps speed in check.
- Common mistakes
- Relying solely on the brake pedal downhill — brake fade on long grades is a leading cause of runaway crashes.
- Quick recall method
- Truck on slope = downshift before descending.
