Autumn is a magical time of year. But the changing leaves and festivities also come with a variety of dangers that can make the roads more difficult. While winter is arguably the most dangerous time of year for drivers, autumn contains its fair share of fatal car accidents. Watch out for these common causes of accidents.
Back to school
Children of all ages return to school in the fall. This means that packs of children will be crossing the street several times a day as they commute back and forth to school. While the older children will likely know how to cross at a crosswalk safely, you should always be on the lookout for younger children who might dart out into the road without much warning.
Increased animal crossings
There’s a reason why fall is called deer season. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that vehicle crashes involving deer are more than doubled in the month of November. If you live in a rural area, or even a suburban area with frequent deer sightings, you should become increasingly wary as you approach December.
Less daylight
As the autumn progresses, the days grow shorter and shorter. Sunset, twilight, and darkness each present their own dangers to drivers. A commute that you typically do in broad daylight in the summer can turn into driving through the darkness towards the end of autumn. In late autumn, most car crashes occur between 4 PM and 8 PM, right when the sun is setting.
Early winter
Some years, the wind, rain, and snowfall of winter begin in late autumn. This can lead to even more crashes than in the winter months, since people aren’t ready for winter driving conditions. This sometimes means that they haven’t adjusted the air in their tires, haven’t put chains on their tires, or simply aren’t yet accustomed to braking with more space in between cars like they do in the winter.
While autumn is beautiful, it can also be quite a dangerous time to drive. Make sure that you stay alert, so that you can avoid a costly and potentially devastating accident.