Hill Start Fixed-Point Parking Position?
3 Answers
When driving uphill, maintain the vehicle speed as slow as possible. Alternate your gaze between looking straight ahead and checking the right rearview mirror. Make steering corrections quickly and with small angles when adjusting direction. For parking, generally use the position of the left rearview mirror relative to the parking line as the reference. On the basis of aligning the vehicle body, find the suitable distance between the left rearview mirror and the parking line for the driver. The techniques for hill start fixed-point parking are as follows: 1. Confirm the edge of the slope: The center of the front part of the engine hood should be 30 cm away from the white line. 2. Confirm the fixed-point on the slope: Stop when the right nozzle on the hood aligns with the marker pole. 3. Adjust the seat: Ensure you can fully depress the clutch pedal. 4. Adjust the sitting posture: Your head position should remain unchanged when looking at the middle of the upper right corner of the dashboard and the air vent. Stop when the upper right corner of the dashboard aligns with the marker pole.
I remember when I was learning to drive, the stopping point for the hill start really gave me trouble. The instructor repeatedly emphasized that the stopping point must be within about 30 centimeters of the line near the curb, and during the test, there was a reference pole in front. If you stopped off the mark, you'd lose points directly. On my first test, I was too nervous and stopped a bit too far, which caused the engine to stall and the car to roll back, resulting in a fail. Later, I practiced every day on a small slope and gradually got the hang of it: controlling the speed in a low gear, keeping an eye on the front of the car and the reference pole, and hitting the brakes as soon as they aligned. This way, the position was accurate, and the start became much smoother. Even now when driving on slopes, I pay extra attention to this point to avoid rolling back and causing an accident or scraping the side.
Having driven for over 20 years, I've long mastered the art of stopping position on hill starts. The wheels must stop within 30cm of the curb – if there's no line, use roadside tree stumps or poles as reference points, just align the middle section of the car body. Stop steadily without sudden braking, depress the clutch while applying slight throttle to prevent rollback. Back when I was learning this, it took considerable effort – nowadays driving test standards are much stricter, with incorrect positioning counted as an error. Even now when driving uphill casually, I habitually check wheel position to ensure safety and fuel efficiency, since rollback during hill starts easily causes rear-end collisions.
