Fall Driving Safety: Tips to Avoid an Accident
Improving Roadway Safety During the Fall Season
Fall is recognizable and loved for several things—sports seasons are returning, cooler temperatures in the morning that turn into warm afternoons, and, of course, heading back into the classroom for kids of all ages. However, this seasonal change can also be accompanied by its own set of roadway dangers.
Improving safety on the roads does not have to be difficult. Here are three easy things you can do to have a better time on the streets this fall.
1. Share the Road with Buses and Large Trucks
The back-to-school season brings out far more school buses on the roads. It only makes sense that an increase in bus crashes sees its most exponential uptake from the months of August-October.
Additionally, fall marks a vital time for crops to be harvested. When this occurs, large commercial trucks begin appearing on the highways more often because of their demand to deliver the perishable items they’re shipping quickly. They have strict deadlines, which can cause the feeling of overcrowding on the roads.
To ensure you are doing everything you can to be as safe as possible during this season, be extra mindful of how you’re sharing the road with these large vehicles. Both of these examples have much bigger blind spots than we do, so use extra caution when changing lanes or merging.
2. Be Aware of Changing Road Conditions
Minneapolis weather patterns during fall can be all over the place. All drivers should be prepared for any kind of weather anomaly, from mild temperatures to heavy rainfall, snowstorms, and even icy temperatures. If you have the task of teaching a teenager how to drive during this season, give them a well thought out list of what to do in any severe weather conditions, like:
- Find a safe, covered spot to pull over for hail or high winds. This should not be under an overpass.
- Keep both hands on the wheel, and avoid unnecessary lane changes.
- To improve focus when driving in rain or icy conditions, decrease distractions by storing your phone and turning down the radio volume.
3. Adjust Your Settings for Low Visibility
Fall often brings a lot more fog than other times of the year. This causes some mornings where seeing even five feet in front of you is difficult. Drivers whose commutes are in more rural areas of the state will probably feel these effects more than their urban counterparts, but avoid using high beams when fog is around regardless of where you live. Instead, use your vehicle’s low-light or fog lights.
How Our Minneapolis Attorneys Can Help
The new season should be a time to celebrate the weather cooling down, not a time to become injured on the roads. However, sometimes even when we take all the necessary precautions, a negligent driver may cause a collision.
If you or a loved one is seeking legal representation following an accident that left you with an injury, contact the team at Butwinick Injury Law today. You can schedule a free consultation by calling (855) 812-3110 or filling out this form.
We want to be here for you. Our experienced and well-versed attorneys know exactly what to do if you have been injured idue to another’s negligence in a car accident. Don’t hesitate before it’s too late. Call us today.