Should the Uphill or Downhill Vehicle Yield?

[DiHolden]

On normal road slopes during oncoming traffic, the downhill vehicle yields to the uphill vehicle; on icy or snowy road slopes, the uphill vehicle yields to the downhill vehicle. The downhill vehicle yielding to the uphill vehicle is primarily for safety considerations—if the downhill vehicle cannot brake in time, it may collide with the uphill vehicle. Thus, yielding to the uphill vehicle ensures greater safety for the downhill vehicle, as even if it fails to brake, it won't hit another car. When both uphill and downhill vehicles are at opposite ends of the slope, allowing the downhill vehicle to proceed first can lead to higher speeds and increased danger. Conversely, if the uphill vehicle goes first, any potential accidents would result in less severe consequences compared to the downhill vehicle. When both vehicles are in the middle of the slope, for manual transmission vehicles, making the uphill vehicle yield to the downhill vehicle increases the risk of stalling and rolling backward, which can lead to traffic accidents.