Make Sure To Stress Safety During Fall Driving

Posted on October 15, 2013

The fall is associated with certain safety hazards that don’t necessarily rear their heads at other times of the year.  Drivers navigating the roads over the next couple of months have to be capable of circumventing these dangers, and to do that, it might help to take into consideration some of the valuable safety tips related in a new report from the Department of Transportation of the state of Michigan.

Understand that something as simple as the sun going down earlier in the day can cause a distinct impairment to one’s ability to see the environment in front of them.  What during the summer may have been a bright, sunshiny commute back home after a day of work may now be quite dark.  And when the sun goes down, it will glint off of your windshield and nearby objects to create a severe visual hazard.  You absolutely need to have sunglasses and a visor handy at these times so that you can make the appropriate driving maneuvers if a pedestrian or some other type of driving obstacle enters your path.

Along with changes to daylight hours also comes obvious changes to the weather.  Even if it’s not particularly cold yet when you head to work, there could be mornings where it’s sufficiently chilly as to frost up your windows.  Although you may be in a rush to get to your job, make sure that you give yourself enough time to clear this frost away.  If your vision out the windows is imperiled, it can contribute to an accident. This is especially dangerous in the early morning hours when kids are traveling to school.

It’s not just your car that frost could accumulate on either.  If your commute takes you along or under a bridge, slow your speed, understanding that ice has a tendency to crop up in these areas, even on days where it doesn’t seem sufficiently frosty.  Avoid problematic areas if you can.

You should also realize that wildlife tends to be out in abundance around this time of the year.  Although you never want to hit anything on the road, be that a small animal or a deer, you don’t want to compromise the safety of others by swerving suddenly into nearby vehicles.  Instead, hit the brakes and try to bring your car to a halt that way.  Hopefully this will enable you to avoid a crash, but if not, get onto the shoulder and call the necessary authorities.

Finally, understand that, while leaves can be a welcome sight during the fall, they can also be a driving hazard.  Try to avoid large accumulations of leaves if you can, as the slickness can be largely akin to driving on mud or through rain.

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