Driving Tips: The Autumn Accord

Autumn is here and so are some important driving tips. Picture this: It’s early in the morning and you’re ready for work. Grabbing your hot coffee, you lock up the house, hop in your car, and turn the key. Luckily you are a few minutes ahead of schedule because you realize your windshield has been bitten by frost.

A frozen windshield can serve as a friendly reminder that Autumn presents many people with a set of unique driving challenges, especially here in the Northeast.

(View the short visual story here, aka TL:DR)

Driving Tips Fit for Autumn Specifics

Defrost on? Check.

While your windshield thaws, you decide now is a great time to do something you have been putting off:

• Check your tire pressures when the tires are cold and more frequently as temperatures drop.
• Tire pressure can drop by one psi (pounds per square inch) for each 10°F drop in temperature.

Grabbing your pressure gauge from the glovebox, you open your door to check the door placard for the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure.

After making it around to all four tires, pressures have dropped two psi. Since properly inflated tires are key to maximum tire grip, you make a note to stop by the local gas station after work to top them off.

Back in the car, you buckle up.

Starting Your Journey

Even with the recent time change, you are still leaving for work before the sun rises. Because of that, you have a few things to keep in mind:

• Driving in the dark affects your depth perception and color recognition.
• The glare of oncoming headlights can make it more difficult to see the road in front of you.

As you set off, you find yourself driving into a dense area of fog. Your first thought is to turn on your fog lights to help you see road markings more clearly. High beams in fog will only make visibility worse as the light reflects back at you.

Because of the low visibility, you reduce your speed. Not only does this help you drive more safely in the fog, but it helps you stay alert for animals:

• Critters – especially deer – are more active at dusk and dawn in the fall.
• Deer travel in groups. If you see one, there are likely others.
• According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, you are 3.5 times more likely to hit a deer in November than any other month.
• Pennsylvania sees an influx of auto insurance claims from hitting deer.

With your attention on the road, there’s one more hazard that you notice…

Wet Leaves are Like Ice

Maintaining a reduced speed, you round a corner and the fog starts to break, unveiling the next threat: Wet leaves!

While autumn leaves are a beauty to behold, once they hit the road, they can become a legitimate hazard, especially if they are wet:

• Wet leaves are, in fact, like ice.
• Leaves can cause puddles and cover up obstructions like pot holes.

As you find yourself on a carpet of wet leaves and approaching a stop sign, you ease onto the brakes and allow for a little extra braking distance. After coming to a complete stop, you make a right onto Main Street and a left into the lot of your business, safe and sound.

Autumn Offers Unique Driving Challenges

With the dropping temperatures, shorter days, and falling leaves, Autumn presents drivers with a set of driving challenges different than the Summer. A quick recap of the driving tips above: Check your tire pressure, be on the lookout for deer, slow down, and remember: Wet leaves are like ice!

While staying alert and slowing down can reduce your risk of an accident, not all trips go as planned. It’s important to make sure that you have the right auto insurance coverage for your vehicle.

To see what your options are, contact one of our agents who will help you find a coverage that fits you at a price that fits your budget.

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