When parking on a steep hill with a manual transmission, which gear should you leave the car in?

• A. Neutral
• B. First gear
• C. Second gear
• D. Reverse

Answer: (B)

When you park on a steep hill with a manual transmission, you want a setting that physically resists the wheels turning even if the parking brake slips. Leaving the car in the lowest gear does exactly that: it links the engine to the wheels, so the engine’s compression and the gear ratio make it very hard for the wheels to move. That extra resistance acts as a safety backup to the parking brake.

Why not neutral? Neutral disconnects the engine from the drivetrain, so nothing stops the car from rolling if the brake release fails. Why not a higher gear? A higher gear provides less resistance than first, so it’s easier for the wheels to turn. And although reverse can hold a car on an incline, using the lowest gear is the standard, strongest safeguard on steep hills.

So, the best choice is to leave the car in first gear.