Hill Descent Control (HDC) is a modern-day driver-assistance system that has made driving downhill safer and easier than before. Hill Descent Control is an important system that controls the speed of a vehicle and applies brakes automatically whenever needed while driving downhill so that any dangerous road situation can be safely avoided. Driving down a steep hill can be challenging and any extra help that comes in the form of a driver-assistance system to offer more control while driving downhill is a welcomed relief.
How Hill Descent Control Works?
The Hill Descent Control fundamentally regulates the speed of a vehicle while going downhill. This technology works on the principle of reducing the speed of a vehicle according to a preset speed threshold for driving downhill. On activation, the Hill Descent Control will provide better control while driving along an extended descent by applying brakes automatically to reduce the speed whenever needed.
Also read: Driver Attention Assist – A Car Safety Feature to Detect Drowsiness While Driving
How Hill Descent Control Helps a Driver?
Hill Descent Control provides assistance to a driver by controlling the speed and braking mechanism of a vehicle while driving downhill. The driver doesn’t need to do anything apart from maintaining attention on the road and controlling the steering wheel. In most of the cases, the HDC will work efficiently and help in steering the vehicle downhill safely, however, a driver should always remain attentive as this is not an autonomous driving technology and cannot be taken as a substitute for driver’s attention on the road.
It must be noted that most of the Hill Descent Control systems in modern-day vehicles can reduce the speed of a vehicle to 15-20mph while going downhill. HDC, in some cars, can even have a predefined speed threshold of 3-5mph, which is almost equal to walking speed of a pedestrian on road.
Also read: Emergency Brake Assist– An Essential Car Safety Feature for Safe Braking
How to Activate Hill Descent Control?
The activation button for Hill Descent Control can be found in the center console, dashboard instrument cluster or in the multifunction terrain management control dial of a vehicle. It is important to slow down the speed of the vehicle below the HDC’s predefined speed threshold before activating it.
Also read: 5 Advanced Vehicle Safety Technologies
Important Things to Remember while Using HDC
While the Hill Descent Control can provide great support in minimizing the risk of a dangerous road situation, it is important to understand some of the limitations of this system.
- Even while using the HDC, a driver should pay utmost attention to the road because HDC is an electronically programmed system that is vulnerable to malfunctioning, especially if you are travelling down a hill that is extremely steep or has an extended descent.
- Most of the Hill Descent Control systems in different vehicles come with an automated function to use the brakelight while applying brakes automatically. However, if you have a vehicle that doesn’t feature this function for HDC, you need to gently hold the brake paddle to indicate the drivers behind you that you are trying to slow down.
You can understand other limitations of the HDC that has been fitted in your vehicle by exploring more information about it in the car owner’s manual.
Also read: 5 Life-Saving Car Safety Features for Nighttime Driving
History of Hill Descent Control
Hill Descent Control was originally developed by Bosch for Land Rover’s Freelander model. The Land Rover Freelander lacked some of the fundamental specifications that other Land Rover vehicles had such as low range gear box and differential locking features. The Hill Descent Control worked as a substitute for these features to provide better control while driving in difficult road conditions, but it didn’t prove to be a big success right away. Later, the technology was worked upon and many new advancements in this technology were introduced, which have now made up the modern-day Hill Descent Control technology.
Capability is at the heart of every Land Rover. With the Hill Descent Control and Terrain Response technology, you can manoeuvre difficult slopes on any terrain.#RangeRoverSport pic.twitter.com/eUAb5ARmHr
— Land Rover Kenya (@LandRover_Kenya) February 1, 2018
Also read: Understanding the Lane Assist Safety Technology
Famous Brands that Offer Hill Descent Control
A number of famous brands including GMC, Land Rover, Ford, Nissan, BMW, Volvo and many others now provide the Hill Descent Control as a standard driver-assistance technology in their new vehicles. Different brands have named this system differently but the system itself remains the same in technology and capability.
Bottom-line
Hill Descent Control is an exceptional driver-assistance technology for driving safely downhill. However, it must be noted that the Hill Descent Control has its limitations and requires a driver to be attentive on the road. The lack of attention while driving can prove to have dangerous consequences even when the HDC is active. This driver-assistance technology should never be confused with autonomous driving as it only helps in providing support to a driver when driving downhill and must not be taken as a substitute to driver’s attention on the road.
If you are looking to sell your used car to buy a new one with advanced safety features and improved performance, then don’t forget that with us, you can sell any used car in just 30 minutes while all the post-sale paperwork is handled by SellAnyCar.com’s team.
