Slippery Leaves of Autumn May Cause Collisions

The NYS DMV reported 23,491 total crashes in 2013 were due to slippery pavement. While this factor only accounts for about 9% of the total crashes in that year, we thought it’d be useful to throw a statistic your way that we find has some significance to this season.

Autumn may not seem like a particularly dangerous season to go driving; however, it produces some factors that contribute to dangerous, slippery roads. What are those factors?

Beware of the Blinding, Slippery Roads of Autumn

Some road cautions caused by autumn include:

• frosty roads
• icy bridges
• slippery leaves

• foggy windows
• early sunsets

While it’s a trademark of Rochester to keep us guessing about the weather, the autumn season is perhaps when weather is the most unpredictable of all. This season shifts from warm, to cold, to rainy, to foggy, to frosty, and returns to warm in a matter of a few days. The rapidly changing weather doesn’t allow us to prepare ahead and know what to expect on the roads.

So how do we defend ourselves against dangerous road conditions caused by autumn in Rochester? Awareness. Take a look again at our bullet points above. One point that surprises some people is slippery leaves.

Fallen leaves and wet weather can cause slippery conditions because piles of leaves accumulate a lot of water. When you see them on the road, slow down and try to avoid wet leaf patches (maybe dry leaf piles too - just incase someone’s hiding in there).  

Also, the earlier sunsets of autumn may cause the sun to blind your vision as you drive home from work. Make sure you have a pair of sunglasses with you for your drive. Also, make sure your vehicle’s defrost system is working in proper condition to defend against the fog caused by chilly mornings.

Find out the most current issues that cause collisions by contacting us at Brothers Collision & Mechanical. Check in with us next month for another post! Also, please share with us your questions and concerns so we can address them for you and others who have the same questions. Thanks!