Tips & Suggestions For Safe Driving During The Fall Season

Winter is coming but the Fall season presents its own challenges for drivers. From wet leaves falling to wildlife scampering across the road, there is never a shortage of distractions for drivers. While safe driving is the name of the game, being a prepared driver is what will really save you the headache. From sun up to sun down , there are certain precautions that you should be taking to ensure that your driving experience is as safe and productive as possible this Fall.

Storing a bigger ice scraper in your vehicle might help...

Preparing Your Vehicle In The Morning

If you're running late in the morning, there is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with the early morning frost and/or accumulation of leaves on your windshield. Unless you have an electric car starter to heat up your car before you get in it, the best way to prepare for Mother Nature's frozen residue is to give yourself an extra five minutes in the morning. I understand that this isn't always easy, but its both safer and more relaxing when you don't have to rush to get to your destination first thing in the morning.

As for fallen leaves, it is best to remove them from the top of your vehicle before driving because they will blow all over the place as you pick up speed driving down the road. This bit of advice is most important for the drivers of pickup trucks. A windstorm in the night will fill the bed of your truck with leaves, and as soon as you hit 60 mph on the highway you're going to have a mess on your hands. Be courteous of other drivers and remove the excess of leaves from your vehicle before driving.  

We can't forget about that ridiculous sun glare. In the morning, the low rising sun will beat on your windshield like a monkey on the drums. If you neglected to remove all of the frost from your vehicle, the glare will be magnified. The danger here is obvious, if you can't see while you're driving you are a hazard to yourself and everyone else on the road. Investing in a $5 pair of sunglasses or taking advantage of your driver-side visor will prevent you from being blinded by the morning light.

Last but certainly not least is the wildlife. You always have to account for unsuspecting critters when you're driving during the Fall season. Some blend in with the multicolored environment, and others are seemingly oblivious to traffic. Watch out for these little fellas, because not only will you feel badly about hitting them, but they could also do some damage to your vehicle.

Our Top 7 Tips For Safe Fall Driving

• While beautiful on the trees, fallen leaves can become a real hazard when wet. They can be as slippery as ice, and cover up actual ice patches, pot holes, and traffic lines. 

• When driving into a wall of fog, make sure to use your low beam headlights, because your high beams will create a glare for oncoming drivers.

• Use caution when driving in unfamiliar areas. This may be common sense, but if don't know an area well, stop signs and cross walks can come up on you quickly.

• Watch out for deer. While these four legged beasts are part of the wildlife that I referred to above, they are much larger than squirrels or possums. They will do some serious damage to your vehicle. Drive slow in heavily wooded areas!

• Increase your following distance, especially in lousy weather, at dusk, and at dawn. If you are being tailgated let the aggressive driver pass, there is no reason to let your road rage build up.

• Again, this may be common sense but make sure that your headlights, taillights, windshield wipers, and heating system are all working properly before the cold weather hits. You don't want to be caught in a messy situation without these applications running at full capacity. 

• Make sure that your tires have sufficient tread depth in case of an early snowfall. This is New England, you should be used to this by now...

With winter following closely behind, you may also wish to swap out your all-season tires for winter specific tires. You can have this done for free at Town Fair Tire thanks to the Free Winter Tire Change-Over Service. If you're interested, please visit our website for more details.