6 Tips to Drive Safely During Fall Leaf and Rain Season

Fall is upon us. The team at Openbay always shares seasonal tips on how to drive safely for its vehicle owner customers and to visitors to Openbay Overdrive.Leaves are falling at a steady pace. When you combine leaves on the roadways with rainy conditions, we have a set of circumstances that can lead to dangerous driving conditions if not prepared.

Vehicles react differently when crossing over wet leaves on roadways especially ones that have many twists and turns. Here are some tips on how you can safely navigate across wet, leaf-covered roadways.

Driving tips

1. Driver acknowledgement of dangerous driving conditions. Similar to the start of a snow storm when icy conditions are present, acknowledgement by the driver of a dangerous road condition and to proceed with caution. This means driving at a reduced speed, two hands on the steering wheel, and avoid all distractions. Put that phone down. Focus on getting to your destination safely.
2. Tires – Always check the condition of your tires. Some states inspect tire tread depth and will fail a vehicle if certain criteria is not met. Whether you are located in a state that inspects tires or not, you should always inspect tread depth, tire wear across the tire, and air pressure levels.  Tires that are unevenly worn, completely worn out, or are outside the recommended air pressure levels can lead to unexpected vehicle behavior.
3. Headlights – turn them on. Some vehicle headlights automatically turn on when a vehicle starts or when the wipers are initiated. But older vehicles may not have this feature. We want to make sure the other vehicles are aware of you.
4. How to handle a skid – somehow you got yourself into a skid. What should you do? First, don’t panic and do not hit the brakes. If you are sensing a skid as you are going around a turn, take your foot off the accelerator and turn into the direction of the skid until the vehicle is back within your control. Why did you skid? Do you have a tire issue?
5. Keep your distance – a safe driving distance between you and the vehicle in front is important. Depending upon the type of roadway; backroads, highway, etc, maintain a distance of several car lengths. More when higher speeds are involved. You want to be able to have enough room in front in the event of a sudden stop and skid on wet leaves.
6. Windows – keep them clean, inside and out. All of them. Better visibility adds to an increase in awareness of your surroundings and increases reaction time.

When it’s time for new tires, or any kind of auto repair and maintenance, check out Openbay. Openbay is a free service for you, the consumer, to help find automotive service professionals that deliver quality service near you. Drive safely!

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