For many Michiganders, the fall season is a great time of year filled with cool temperatures, beautiful scenery, and Detroit Lions football. Even though the most car accidents throughout the year, on average, occur during the summer months, and the wintertime is known as the most difficult time to drive due to the snowy conditions in Michigan, driving during the fall season also comes with a lot of difficulty that a lot of people do not account for. Here are some of the many aspects that play a role in the increased danger on the roads during the fall and ways to avoid these dangers so that you and your family remain safe and healthy on the roads during this fall season.

Leaves Make the Road Slippery

In Michigan, the fall season is known to bring breathtaking scenery due to the fact that the leaves change colors on the trees then eventually fall off the trees in preparation for the cold temperatures in the winter. Even though these leaves can be beautiful, they can also be extremely dangerous for drivers. When the leaves fall from the trees, they tend to cover up the road in certain areas, making the roads much more slippery than they were before, especially when wet. Leaves can also cover up different bumps, curbs, or potholes on the road, adding a level of difficulty to driving during the fall months and forcing drivers to pay extra attention to the road. In order to avoid these dangers during the fall, slow down, especially when driving over large patches of leaves, and increase your distance from the car ahead of you. If you skid or hydroplane over leaves, do not panic or slam on your brakes. Instead, simply release the gas pedal and steer in the direction that you want to go.

Large Amounts of Deer During the Fall

Drivers are much more likely to encounter or cross paths with a deer on the road during the fall months, especially during dusk or dawn, when your vision is most compromised, because the fall season is known as hunting and mating season for deer. Studies show that almost 43% of all deer-related car crashes in Michigan in 2021 occurred during the fall season, between October and December. The biggest mistake that a lot of people make when they see deer in the road is swerving all over the road to try and avoid coming in contact with the deer. This can increase your chances of hitting another car on the road or losing control of your car, putting you and the people in your car in much more danger than if you were to hit a deer on the road. The best thing you can do to minimize damage when you see a deer in the road is to slow down as quickly and as safely as you can.

School is Back in Session

Another major factor that plays a role in the increased danger on the roads during the fall season is the start of the school year in August and September. This means increased amounts of pedestrians, school zones are back in effect, and increased bus and car traffic on the road. As a result, drivers must pay extra attention to the roads, yielding to pedestrians, and following the school zone speed limits when they are in effect. Also, make sure that you understand the different signals that school buses use to indicate that they are stopping to drop off kids.

Remember the following:

• Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to drop off or pick up kids. When you see this, slow down and be prepared to stop
• Red flashing lights and extended stop signs on the bus indicate that it is currently stopped and either dropping off or picking up kids. In this situation, according to the law, you must stop at least 20 feet before the bus and wait until the red lights stop flashing and the stop sign is withdrawn to proceed to avoid substantial fines.
• School buses must stop and open the doors to listen for any trains coming before crossing over train tracks. If you are ever driving behind a school bus, be prepared to stop whenever approaching train tracks.

Increased Darkness

As the weather continues to get colder in the fall in Michigan, the days continually get shorter because daylight savings time ends in the fall. As a result, you might find yourself driving in the dark significantly more in the fall than you did in the summertime. Driving when it is dark outside has proven to be significantly more dangerous than driving during the day with 50% of traffic deaths occurring when the sun is down despite the fact that there is less traffic at night. The daylight savings time adjustment period that happens during the fall in Michigan is one of the most dangerous times of the year to drive because a lot of the people on the road are not accustomed to such abrupt changes in visibility. When driving during this adjustment period or anytime that it is dark outside during the fall, make sure that you are reducing your speed, maintaining a safe distance, and constantly checking for hazards on the roadway, such as deer. Another extremely important aspect of safety while driving when it is dark is the correct use of your high-beam headlights. Provided there are no cars in front of you, be sure to use your high beams to your advantage, as they improve your sight distance by 28%, drastically reducing your chances of getting into an accident during the nighttime. Decreased visibility is one of the main reasons why driving during the fall is dangerous in Michigan, requiring extra precautions to ensure safety.

Increase Amount of Fog and Glare in the Fall

Fall is known as the foggiest season of the year due to the frequent temperature swings, longer nights, and cloudy conditions that can be seen during the fall season in Michigan. When driving in fog, be sure to reduce your speed, drive with your low-beam headlights on, and avoid using your hazard lights to increase visibility and reaction time. If your windshield fogs up, turn on your vehicle’s defrosters or open your windows slightly to equalize the temperature and humidity in the car and clear up your windshield. Always be sure to check your vehicle’s weather stripping (the rubber seal around your windows and windshield) once a year to reduce leakage and windshield fogging.

Sun glare also tends to play a large role in driving dangers during the fall season in Michigan because of the lower position of the sun in the sky. The sun also rises later and sets earlier in the fall, directly lining up with the typical morning and evening commutes. When the sun is lower in the sky, the sun glare intensifies, reflecting off wet roads, morning frost, etc. To avoid the impacts of this sun glare, always be sure to have a pair of sunglasses handy, particularly polarized sunglasses, keep your windshield clean, and use your vehicle’s sun visor whenever necessary.

Tire Pressure Loss

In Michigan’s Fall Season, the constantly fluctuating temperatures can cause significant changes in tire pressure which can have a major impact on safety. When temperatures drop, the air inside of the tires contract, reducing the pressure in the tires. Decreased tire pressure can result in reduced traction, increasing the chances of skidding or hydroplaning drastically. Due to the fact that deflated tires make less contact with the road than regularly inflated tires, this can also result in longer stopping distances and less control during turns, especially when the roads are wet or icy. Therefore, always be sure to have your tires at the correct amount of pressure before the start of the fall season and monitor your tire pressure at least once a month. Some potential ways to help prevent your tire pressure from dropping include filling your tires with nitrogen to decrease pressure fluctuation and rotating your tires on a regular basis.

The fall season has proven to be a dangerous time of year to drive for a multitude of reasons, requiring several safety precautions, such as the ones listed above, to remain safe on the road. If you or anyone you know gets into an accident during the fall season or any season, call the experienced team of injury attorneys at Femminineo Law at 855-65-CRASH or visit our website at getdavidgetpaid.com.