Third Coast Auto Group Official Blog

We’ve written before about basic fall car care tips, and how you can get your vehicle ready for winter, but there is more to having a safe fall driving experience than just having a reliable car that isn’t making any of those weird noises. There are some specific driving challenges that can begin to appear around this time of year. Here are a few common fall driving problems and solutions.

Fall Driving Problems and Solutions

Deer on the move

General hunting season for deer in the Austin area runs November through January, and deer can be very active even starting in mid-to-late October. This means that they may be crossing the road more, which can do anything from scare you to total your vehicle.

Solution: Keep alert for deer especially when in wooded and rural areas, and in the mornings and evenings when deer are most active (and harder to see).

Less daylight, weird sun positions

The days will officially be shorter than the nights starting toward the end of September (the 22^nd in 2018). Less sunlight means less visibility, but during this time of year the sun will also be RIGHT in your eyes if you are going east in the morning or west in the evening. Glare can hurt your eyes and distract you while you drive.

Solution: Make sure you always have a pair of sunglasses in your car, and avoid east-west roads during dawn and dusk if you can.

Falling leaves and morning ice

When leaves fall in the autumn, they can pose a surprising driving hazard. They may look innocent enough, but wet leaves can actually be as slippery as ice! Later in the year, when it gets a little chillier you may also want to watch for dew and ice that can form overnight and also make the roads more slick.

Solution: Awareness is half the battle. Keep in mind that your stopping power over wet leaves or slightly icy roads may not be as good as usual.

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