Fall Driving Hazards and Tips to Stay Safe

You can also just avoid driving in the dark when you can, says Van Tassel, who suggests using ride hailing service apps for non-daylight trips and delivery apps for retrieving groceries, takeout or prescriptions that you might need after dark.    

Kids everywhere, all of a sudden, all at once

Students’ return to school means new traffic patterns, with increased bus, car and pedestrian presence during drop-off and pickup. 

“In school zones, watch your speed and be extra vigilant,” says Cox. She says this is even more relevant for drivers of trucks or SUVs, which can be more harmful because of their high hoods if they strike a pedestrian. She notes that features like Automatic Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection (AEB-ped) — which halts a car automatically when someone is detected in its path — can reduce relevant crashes by 27 percent, according to IIHS studies. The system is fairly standard in current new cars. “But that’s not really helpful for a driver of older vehicles that didn’t come equipped with it,” she adds.

So if your car is older, Van Tassel advises extreme caution when backing up. “Move at a walking pace,” he says. This is particularly important as kids are often on the move with more than just their feet and old school bicycles these days — including electric-powered bicycles, scooters and skateboards. 

And follow bus rules to a tee, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. When you see a bus’s yellow lights flashing, a driver should slow down and prepare to stop. Do not try to pass the bus at this point (it’s illegal). Come to a full stop when the red lights are flashing and the bus’s stop-arm is extended. When the bus’s lights have stopped flashing and the bus has begun moving again, you may proceed, adding that regardless of flashing lights, be very aware that a school bus likely means kids are around the street. 

New drivers mean more mistakes

And then there are the new drivers — the teens very excited to be on the road, driving to school and not always making the best decisions. According to AAA, 16-19 year olds are three times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as drivers 20 and older, and 16 year olds have a crash risk about 1.5 times higher than 18-19 year olds. 

If you chauffeur a teen driver — perhaps a grandchild or grand-niece or -nephew — somewhere, you can help by modeling safe driving behaviors such as always wearing a seat belt and not engaging in distracted practices like looking at a smartphone while driving.

Oh deer — and other wildlife hazards

According to Cox, deer strikes are most common at dusk and dawn, so fall’s shorter days impact our potential roadway interactions with animals. Cox’s IIHS data also shows that deer are most active in November, during their mating season. 

“We see animal strikes in November at more than two times the yearly average frequency,” Cox says, adding that West Virginia, Iowa, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Michigan have the highest rate of strikes. 

Van Tassel also recommends that drivers slow down to decrease stopping distances. And if a deer is unavoidably in your path, he says, don’t swerve. “If someone makes a hard jerk, it might make it more difficult to recover from that and stay on the road,” he says. Leaving the roadway brings “higher risk of crashing into trees or rolling over.”   

Headlight technology can help, adds Cox, as can AEB systems, some of which, she says, can also detect large animals. “If your vehicle does have these systems, make sure they’re active and engaged,” Cox says.

The golden hour glare

In autumn, the sun’s daily path is different. “The sun will not get as high in the sky,” Van Tassel says. This results in longer periods of glare each morning and evening, often coinciding with daily commutes.

The simplest aids in reducing glare should be familiar. “Use your car’s sun visor, and wear sunglasses,” Cox says. Polarized sunglasses are particularly effective, according to Van Tassel.  Both also recommend to avoid driving during sunrise and sunset, and/or choosing alternative routes that avoid direct east or west exposures.

Van Tassel has additional checkup advice as well, this time for you, not your car. “Getting an eye exam each year in the fall is a great idea,” he says. “It can help identify any vision problems as early as possible.”

Preparing for bad weather can be a lifesaver

If rain, fog or frost appears, he suggests remaining home, if possible. “It’s hard to get in trouble if you’re not out on the road,” Van Tassel says, wryly. To prep for cooler weather emergencies, he recommends packing a supply kit in the trunk: “an extra phone battery, a charger cord, water, blankets and maybe a deck of cards.” You can even purchase all manner of road kits from AAA, including those that contain supplies for emergencies (e.g., jumper cables and flashlights), first aid (e.g., bandages and gauze) or foul weather (e.g., gloves, hand warmers, shovel, candles, ice scraper).