My dodge will engine brake if I use the cruise control. Down near the bottom (or far side) of your shifter you should have a low gear that isn’t first. You can shift into it under 50 and let off the gas, your car should slow down. Test it’s rpm range on some flat ground first by accelerating to around 50… On the mountain is not where you want to first try it.

At minimum, shift out of overdrive into regular drive.

You can use your brakes to slow down to where you can then engine brake, you just don’t want to use them for miles all the way down a mountain.

Once you’re under ~50 and you shift down to second, your engine does the work. It will keep the car slower. Maybe you need to tap on the normal brakes here and there, that’s fine, but you shouldn’t have to keep them pressed the entire time.

I also had no idea, even thought it’s completely logical. I just never would have considered that.

If I were a ranger at those stops, I would totally turn it into a game based on make and model, which state they’re from, and judging the driver.

“Soccer minivan from Illinois? They will have no clue how to drive in mountains, their brakes will be hot”

“Ice cold, dude, I’m up by three, next Coke is on you”