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Autumn Driving Tips
Tip written by: Infraspection Institute

It’s that time of year when brightly colored trees remind us that Autumn is upon us. Taking a few precautions can help to make driving safer by addressing challenges unique to the fall season.

• Patches of fallen leaves can be just as treacherous as patches of ice. Fallen leaves retain large amounts of water and can create a slippery surface. Drive slowly through them and avoid hard or panic braking.
• Fall brings the first frost. Be aware of slippery conditions that occur with frost. At freezing or near freezing temperatures, the moisture on bridges and overpasses will become ice much more quickly than the approach roadway. The roadways hold heat and the bridges do not; you can go from wet roadway to ice in just a fraction of a second.
• Fall weather such as rain, fog, sleet and wet snow require full driver attention. Remember the “two-second rule” when following other drivers, and in severe weather increase your following distance. If you are being tailgated, let the other driver pass.
• Later sunrises and earlier sunsets can create sun glare. Be sure your windows are clean, inside and out, and have sunglasses handy. If you’re driving away from a low sun, glare will not be a problem for you, but it can be for the drivers approaching from the other direction. It may help to use your low beam headlights, allowing you to be seen more readily.
• In most areas, animal collisions are at their peak in the fall. Be on guard when traveling through areas where wildlife is likely to cross the road.

Common sense along with the basics of safe driving – always wearing a safety belt, driving alert and sober, and driving at safe and legal speeds – can help you travel safely in the fall.

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