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Keep Your Family Safe on the Road This Fall

Fall driving presents a variety of obstacles, and more drivers die from September through November than during the winter months of December through February. Slick roads, foggy mornings, and roaming wildlife are just some of the increased hazards. You must also contend with less daylight and morning and evening sun glare.



Driving In The Dark



Everyone sees less well at night. In fact, you are more than twice as likely to be involved in a fatal crash at night as during daylight hours. Keep these tips in mind as the seasons change.



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Less light means slow down. Drive below the speed limit and increase your following distance.

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Take curves slower, and never overdrive your headlights. Be sure you can stop if something suddenly appears in the roadway.

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Use high beams as much as possible on highways and unlighted streets. Remember, though, low beams are mandatory if you'sre within 500 feet of another vehicle or in fog. Note: Low beams lose their efficiency at speeds above 40 mph.

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One of the greatest dangers of night driving is sudden light from street lights, neon signs, wet pavements and approaching cars. Try to look away from glare. Use the lines or edge of the pavement on your right side to help guide you.

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Don'st try to out-glare a vehicle that does not switch to low beams. Be the first to be courteous. Retaliation for bad manners only results in two blinded drivers.

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Take special care on poorly lit, rural roads.



Seasonal Hazards



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To minimize the glare problems at sunrise and sunset, use your visor, and wear sunglasses if necessary. Never wear sunglasses or tinted glasses at night.

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Be wary of drivers who are driving into a glare at your back. Give yourself plenty of room to come to a controlled stop.

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Turn on your headlights whenever you wonder if it'ss dark enough to use headlights. It will help you see and be seen.

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Clean your windshield inside and out, especially if you are a smoker. Smoke can cloud your windows and diffuse light.

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Keep paper towels or a rag handy in the interior of your car.

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Keep your wipers clean and new. Streaks make glare worse. Check the washing fluid often.

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To avoid skids in rainy weather, slow down. If you do skid, steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.

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As soon as temperatures start diving below zero, slow down before crossing a bridge.

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Deer and other wildlife are active in the fall. If a collision is unavoidable, slow down to reduce the impact. Stay under control.



According to statistics released by the United States Department of Transportation'ss (USDOT'ss) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,012 people were killed in the month of October and 3,756 were killed in November in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2005. More than 25% of all car drivers were involved in car accidents in a five year period. These numbers are unacceptable. We can all do our part to help change these numbers.



Live Safely In A Dangerous World, the award-winning book by John Myre, details 18 Driving Topics will make everyone in your family a safer driver. Review with your teen the main driving topics as well as an additional topic on Teaching Teens To Drive in the Kids's Safety section. The information will accelerate their learning curve by making them more aware of hazards they are likely to encounter, and how to deal with the hazards.



For more information on how to keep your family safe this Fall on the road and at home, visit www.AchieveYourFullPotential.com for more safety tips and a special interview with John Myre.

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