Driving can be a lot of fun on sunny autumn days. But the weather can also different.
The Autumn has some inconvenience for drivers. However, if you properly prepare for wetness, darkness and loose leaves, you will get through it safely darker season.
Braking distance also depends on the ground
While most drivers are wary of snow, many underestimate the smoothness of polluted roads. Wet leaves or soil on the road can lead to a real slide. The braking distance is also significantly longer. Potholes, stones or other obstacles are also often hidden under a cover of leaves. Where the asphalt is barely visible under a thick layer of leaves, the speed should therefore be significantly reduced.
Leaves can also cause another problem if they fall into the ventilation duct in front of the windshield and clog the vehicle fan. Then the ventilation of the interior will not work properly and the windows will fog up. It is therefore advisable to regularly remove the foliage from the body. Usually this is done quickly and without much fiddling by hand.
Where you have to be particularly careful
Depending on the region and weather conditions, the first frost occurs as early as October. Drivers have to be prepared for slippery terrain below three degrees. Especially in depressions, in the forest and on bridges. If the temperatures are permanently in the single-digit range, you should swap the summer tires for winter or all-year-round tires. Because even at low plus temperatures, they offer a much better hold and thus more safety.
Perfect lighting of the vehicle is also particularly important in autumn. The low beam should be switched on early and not just in the dark, because the daytime running lights of modern cars are not sufficient when visibility is poor. In the early twilight, cyclists and pedestrians are more difficult to recognize and often appear as an unexpected obstacle. It is therefore important to adjust the speed to the weather and time of day.
Adapt your speed to the weather conditions
Autumn brings not only rain and fog, but also a lot of wind and occasionally even storms. In this case, drivers should not only be particularly careful when they are on the move, they should also not park their vehicle under trees if possible - otherwise falling branches can cause considerable damage. In order to have your vehicle under control in the event of unforeseen gusts, the speed must be adapted to the conditions. Particularly on bridges or on forest aisles, caution is required, there is a risk of strong crosswinds. Only those who have both hands on the steering wheel can react quickly and, if necessary, take countermeasures.
In autumn there is also an increased danger from wild animals. At the latest when the time change has been completed, rush hour traffic falls back into the time of sunrise and sunset. This increases the risk of accidents involving wildlife, because roe deer, deer and wild boar are looking for food at this time or they return to their quiet zones and cross streets in the process. You should therefore be careful not only when driving through forests, but also on roads along fields and forests. If a single deer or wild boar turns up, you have to expect that more animals will follow from the pack. If a collision is imminent, evasive action is often the most dangerous reaction. In case of doubt, a controlled collision is preferable, in which the animal is hit head-on as much as possible.
