Fall Driving Dangers & Tips to Stay Safe
•Darkness- When Daylight Savings ends, many people will find themselves spending more time driving in the dark. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision can be compromised in the dark, and the glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can temporarily blind a driver.
•Wildlife/Pedestrians: Early dusk makes for an increase in wildlife, increasing the chances of hitting an animal in the roadway. Additionally, always be mindful of people walking/running/biking on the roads during morning and evening commutes. Stay aware, alert of your surroundings, and slow down.
•Leaves- As foliage falls and winds blow, leaves cover the roadways. Wet leaves can be as slippery as ice, create puddles as they block drainage, and hide potholes and pavement markings.
•Glare- Autumn sunrises and sunsets can be very bright, creating so much glare making it difficult to see while driving. Use of sunglasses, sun visors, and keeping a clean windshield can help reduce these hazards.
•Fog & Frost- Otherwise refreshing chilly autumn mornings can trigger fog, reducing your vision and distance perception. This is when you’re supposed to use those fog lights that many cars have. They shine wide, low beams along the road and onto the edges of a street, which also is helpful for critter spotting. Please don’t use them instead of your regular headlights but rather in addition to low-beam headlights. When temperatures have been cold enough that moisture on the road has turned to ice in spots, slow down.