A warning sign
Steep hill downwards
A red triangle showing a downhill gradient (with a percentage, such as 10%) warns of a steep descent ahead.
01
What it means
The steeper the percentage, the sharper the drop. Select a lower gear before you start down so the engine helps hold your speed, and brake in firm short applications rather than riding the brakes, which can overheat them. Never coast down in neutral or with the clutch held - you lose engine braking and control.
02
Where you'll see it
Hilly and rural roads; often paired with a low-gear-now instruction or an escape-lane sign on long descents.
03
On your driving test
Choose the right gear early and keep the car at a steady, safe speed. Coasting, or arriving at the bottom too fast, is a control fault.
Often confused with
Quick answers
What gear for a steep downhill?
A lower one than you'd use on the flat - low enough that engine braking does most of the work and you only need light, occasional braking. Choose it before the descent, not on it.
Sign artwork is Crown copyright, reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0; meanings from the Highway Code (gov.uk).
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