Wicked Driving Weather and Distractions: Safe Driving This Fall

What are the biggest hazards to watch out for on the road during the end of October and early November? A combination of seasonal factors can cause even professional drivers — those with a commercial drivers license (CDL) handling the big rigs — to easily get distracted or make a mistake.

Other drivers on the road need to be more conscious of the risks as well. Knowing the dangers helps with defensive driving (and could save your life).

Fall leaves and slick roads

If you’re on a four-lane highway, you’re probably not going to have to worry about leaves getting wet and sticking to the road, creating traction problems for even big rigs.

However, be cautious around trucks on two-lane highways that cut through the countryside and on streets that are heavily treed. Delivery trucks, for example, start making more appearances at this time of year as people amp up their holiday shopping. However, the volume of leaves in the road can cause tires to slip and trucks to even flip over.

Fog, wind and rain

Fall brings plenty of spooky weather to go along with the Halloween season. While fog, wind, and rain are part of the seasonal charm for many, they’re also dangerous to drive in.

High winds, for example, can topple a top-heavy truck or cause an improperly loaded one to tumble over. Fog can cause a truck to roll up on a smaller vehicle without even knowing that it’s there and stopped at a light or a stop sign until it’s too late to stop. Rain is always hazardous, but tropical storms create extra danger, especially in the lower half of the country.

Halloween decor and distractions

It pays to be particularly careful the closer it gets to Halloween. A lot of drivers can’t help but get distracted by all the decorations that people are putting on houses and in yards these days.

A trucker might take his or her eyes off the road for just a few seconds to glance at a Halloween display and end up running into a car just ahead.

If you’re in an accident with a truck this fall through no fault of your own, talk to an attorney about your right to compensation for your property damage, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Source: LiveScience, “Fall’s Back! Equinox Heralds Colorful Leaves and Bad Weather,” Elizabeth Newbern, accessed Oct. 18, 2017