What is a gradient of 30 per cent?

It means the road rises 30 metres for every 100 metres you travel along the flat, about 17 degrees. Gravity then pulls the car back down the slope with 30 per cent of its weight, which is an acceleration of about 2.9 metres per second squared.

Why does the car roll back at all?

On a slope gravity pulls along the road. With the brake on, the brake pads hold it still; with the brake off and little power, the pull wins. The skill is to swap the brake for engine power without a gap.

Hill Start Trial

Climb a steep road, stop on the slope at each line, and drive on without rolling back. Every stop is on a hill that rises the way you are heading, and it gets steeper in each of the six trials. Use the brake to hold the car on the hill and give it power before you let go, or it will roll into whatever is behind.

Arcade
Free, plays in your browser
Mouse, touch or keyboard
Added 11 November 2026
#hillstart
#slope
#gradient
#drivingtest
#handbrake
#gravity

Hill Start Trial

0% · Getting ready

Watch a 20-second trailer

A real run of the game, recorded with captions and no sound.

How to play

Drive with the arrow keys or the on-screen pedals. The brown tint marks a hill, and the arrow in it points uphill. Stop wholly inside each yellow stop line and hold still for a moment.
While the brake is held the car stays where it is. Hold the throttle as well, then let the brake go. If the power is not enough to beat the slope, the car rolls backwards and takes damage as it goes.
Finish every stop line before the time runs out. You earn a second star for rolling back no more than a metre in total and a third for almost none, in a quick run.

Controls: mouse, touch or keyboard. Made by CalcoTools.

Tips and strategy

Press the throttle first and release the brake second. The moment the engine's push is greater than the pull of the hill, the car will move forward.
On a steep hill, nearly full throttle is needed: the slope takes away part of the engine's acceleration. At a grade of 30 per cent, nearly all of it goes.
Do not creep up to the line too fast: a quick stop on a slope needs a firm brake, and a car that stops short of the line has to start again.

FAQ

What is a gradient of 30 per cent?: It means the road rises 30 metres for every 100 metres you travel along the flat, about 17 degrees. Gravity then pulls the car back down the slope with 30 per cent of its weight, which is an acceleration of about 2.9 metres per second squared.
Why does the car roll back at all?: On a slope gravity pulls along the road. With the brake on, the brake pads hold it still; with the brake off and little power, the pull wins. The skill is to swap the brake for engine power without a gap.

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