When a car driving uphill on a one lane road comes across another vehicle coming downhill who should back you?

Answer 1

This isn't AS straight-forward as it sounds!

1. When a vehicle at the bottom of a hill, before starting up the hill, sees a vehicle already coming DOWN, the vehicle's driver who wants to go UP should WAIT at the bottom of the hill. Period. However, if the vehicle wanting to go UP would end up sitting on railroad tracks while waiting, the driver should back up to the other side of the railroad tracks to WAIT for the descending vehicle to end its descent.
2. When a vehicle has already begun to come UP a hill, and a vehicle is at the TOP or just beginning its descent, the vehicle's driver who is descending should stop, try to pull as far RIGHT as possible, and if unable to give enough room, should BACK UP to let the ascending driver continue. This is especially important on steep grades with a manual-stick shift engine ascending a hill. e.g. truck A descending driver should never make an ascending driver have to decelerate or stop while the descending driver figures out what to do. Just reverse and get out of the way.
3. When a vehicle at the bottom of a hill FAILS to notice a descending driver AND the descending driver is half-way or more down the hill, while the ascending driver has JUST begun ascent, the ascending driver should back DOWN to a clear distance to let the descending driver finish the descent. THIS is especially important when a DESCENDING vehicle is under a load. For example, a manual shift tow truck is towing a vehicle; a car is towing a pop up camper; or the vehicle is a fully loaded cement truck or dump truck-- these vehicles would have less engine power and visibility and more risk if they attempted to back up on a hill !
   
4. When a hill has NO VISIBILITY AT THE TOP, so it is UNSAFE to back up because the driver CANNOT SEE TRAFFIC BEHIND HIM, then, the ASCENDING vehicle should give right of way and back up because that driver has clearer visibility of traffic coming behind him.
5. IF a steep hill also has a curve, making an obstacle to visibility beyond the curve, the driver who HAS VISIBILITY should back up. For example, if the ASCENDING DRIVER already passed the curve, the descending driver should back up. But if the DESCENDING driver already passed the curve, then the ascending driver should back down to the bottom. A driver should avoid driving blindly, especially if going in reverse!
6. IF two equally weighted cars approach a hill, one to ascend and one to descend, and the road has ice or snow, and the descending driver has already begun to descend--even a little ways down--then, the ascending driver better not even think to start an ascent-- back up and let the descending driver concentrate on navigating over the ice and snow. It really matters not if he had the right of way---if he's already coming down, don't even think of making him back upward on a hill on snow or ice!

Complicating matters is how much traffic is behind the first ascending or descending vehicle! It can be nightmarish to get all drivers to understand and coordinate the intended actions. Among local drivers traveling known one-lane or narrow hills, a long line of drivers in both directions usually alternate--- one descends, next ascends, next descends--- BUT every driver must clearly indicate their knowledge that drivers are alternating who goes next. Never, ever assume.

In each of these situations, the type of vehicle (manual vs automatic), weight of vehicle (car vs single or multi-axle truck), width of vehicle (e.g. snow plow), and accompanying attachments on backs of vehicles (camper, trailer, semi) or on fronts of vehicles (snow plow), or a tow truck, all play into the decisions about WHO will back up. However, this decision needs to be made quickly so an ascending vehicle can continue to move smoothly up the grade; or the descending vehicle can slow, stop, reverse, and get out of the way.

Any way you cut it, one driver must forego right of way....and it might as well be 'you'. When you take the initiative to give over your right of way (or to acknowledge the other driver's right of way), you eliminate any possible confusion or competition about who gets half-way up or down the hill first. In the 1960s, the driver giving right of way to the other driver would rapidly flash his/her headlights several times after clearly pulling far right at the top or bottom to "wait", so the other driver would know the person was giving over right of way, or acknowledging "the other guy is supposed to go first".

My expertise: I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains where there are plenty of narrow or one lane roads on hills. Got to see outcomes of mis-communicating or sullen drivers, and how hard it can be to keep a manual stick vehicle going up when the other driver refused to back up. One hill had double sets of railroad tracks at the bottom of the hill, so I got educated about backing up to across the tracks to wait... even if it meant the B&O train would block our travel when it came through before a vehicle finished its descent on the hill. Knew well the difference that chains on tires made in snow/ice, and the scare of sliding on descent with no guard rails on the right (the cliff side) while trying to get a driver to NOT ascend until we cleared the descent. Whew.

Answer 2

the vehicle going uphill has the right of way

Answer 3

The vehicle facing downhill must back up until the other can pass. The downhill vehicle has greater control when backing up.

Answer 4

Depends upon the amount of distance each vechile has traveled. One would think there would be enough room for the eah vehicle to share the lane.

Answer 5

The car going UP-hill has the right-of-way

Answer 6

defending ahs to yield

Answer 7

The vehicle ascending.

Answer 8

The one

Going up?