As your local Allstate Burbank agent, whenever the fall season
begins, I see a whole new exciting time of the year starting. Summer is long
gone and the heat slowly disappears and the much needed breeze and cooler
weather feels like a gift for those of us in Southern California. With children
back in school and holidays approaching, there will be far more frequent
driving and traveling.
More importantly, the weather starts to get cooler and we
see rainfall become more frequent. This makes the dangers on the road
drastically increase putting you and your loved ones’ lives at risk. Winter is
the season that makes most drivers become extremely cautious on the road.
However, these risks begin in the fall and the earlier you prepare for these
dangers the safer you’ll be when conditions start to escalate.
At Allstate Burbank, I don’t just provide protection with Allstate auto insurance coverage. I also provide guidance to help you avoid events that require you to have such insurance, and I am fully aware of the rise of accidents that come with the change in the weather.
New Dangers on the Road in the Fall
Pedestrians
With school in session and the holiday season approaching,
the streets will be filled with more people in both residential and commercial
areas. Students are crossing the streets around schools and bus drop off zones,
and adults are out and about doing their seasonal shopping making both the
street and traffic far denser. The Halloween holiday is especially heavy with
many trick-or-treaters that require special attention as well as each week of
Thanksgiving and Christmas for last minute shoppers.
Fallen Leaves
Roads can become slippery as the fallen leaves of the season begin to covet the roads. It is crucial that you proceed carefully this season to prevent any danger of losing control of your vehicle as well as avoid hidden hazards camouflaged by the numerous leaves such as potholes. Even if it isn’t raining in your area, dry leaves still serve a danger. It is possible that piles of dry leaves accumulated on your car could spark a fire with the car’s catalytic converter. Therefore make sure you’re not parked near large piles of dry leaves.
Wet Conditions
Although Southern California is known for its warm and dry climate, it still faces impulsive weather and can deal with heavy rain that starts in the fall. It is highly advised that you make sure your windshield wipers are functioning properly or check if they are in need of replacement. If you’re ever in a situation where the rain is too heavy such as the middle of a storm, it is always the best decision to pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Your safety is more important than anything.
Tire Pressure
As we mentioned about Southern California’s weather,
temperature is consistently erratic. The temperature unpredictably rises and
falls which can cause the rubber of car tires to expand and contract resulting
in air pressure loss. This will provide a danger for you on the road so make
sure you’re regularly checking your tires for any sign of deflation.
Sunlight Glare
Days start to become shorter in the fall, and you may find
yourself commuting during the sunrise on your way to work and during the sunset
on your drive home. The glare from the sun will drastically impair your vision,
putting you and other drivers around you in danger. Make sure you own a pair of
sunglasses to keep in your car that will protect your eyes from any glare
helping your own safety on the highway as well as prevent damage to your eyes.
Your commute will also become noticeably darker sooner even before daylight
savings time which means your car light’s need to be checked for maintenance and
replacements as well.
Animals
Fog
The warmer mornings are slowly disappearing, and the fog and chilly weather will bring in slower starts to you day. Fog can greatly limit your visibility as you drive and can alter your perception of distance. You are most likely to experience fog in low altitude areas or areas surrounded by hills, water or mountains. A common mistake many drivers make is to turn on their high beams which only make visibility worse by creating glare. The best option is to make sure you drive slowly and create more distance between you and the car in front of you to give yourself enough time to come to a calm and complete stop.
Frost
It is likely you’ll start finding your car with frost on the
windows. Usually your defroster can help clear your windows, so you’ll have to
get ready a little earlier in order to make sure you car is prepared for a safe
drive. If the frost is thicker, you will need to scrape it off of your windows
with the proper tools otherwise you will not be able to see whatsoever. Make
sure you are reducing your speed in the road as well maintain more distance
between your vehicle and other vehicles as you travel like in foggy conditions.
Follow these Tips to Save Lives
With all of the hazards we stated above, driving in the colder and wetter weather can be intimidating. It’s natural to feel so, because as aware as you may be to these dangers, not every driver may be just as responsible. There also may be tips that slip your mind. Make sure to go through the following necessary and easy steps with updating your car to keep you and other drivers safe:
1) Replace Your Wiper Blades
Your car’s wiper blades are consistently facing all kinds of
conditions on your windshield. The rain will slowly get harder, and the wind
will blow leaves and other light objects on your windshield. So, your car’s
wiper blades need to be checked to see if you need to buy new blades to keep
your vision as clear as possible.
2) Slow Down
This cannot be emphasized enough. As confident and competent
of a driver as you may be, the same cannot be said about many other drivers and
you should never assume so. The speed limits are based on ideal conditions when
whether is fair. Even the lightest of rain can cause deadly accidents, and it
is guaranteed that it will cause heavy traffic. So make sure you give yourself
more time to get to your destination because you will need to drive more
carefully as well as face much more traffic.
3) Increase Distance Between Cars
As we stated before, allow more space with the vehicle in
front of you. Usually, the 3-4 second rule applies in normal weather however it
should become around 10 seconds in any kind of wet weather. This gives you
plenty of time to stop especially with the slippery streets that may cause you
to skid and cause an accident.
4) Always Have Your Headlights on During Rain
It is required by law to have your headlights on during any
level of rainfall. However, no matter how hard it rains or even possibly snow,
your high beams should NOT be used. As we mentioned during foggy conditions,
this will cause a glare that actually reflects off of the rain or snow making
it far more difficult for both you and other drivers to see. The high beams are
used for momentary use to signal other drivers in case of emergencies.
5) Never Slam on Your Brakes
As discussed earlier when animals run in the road, try your
best to resist slamming on your brakes during rainy weather. A sudden stop may
cause your car to skid on the slippery road and make you lose control. When
your tires come to an immediate stop, it will cause your car to act like a
sled, losing all traction and make it far more difficult to control. If you
ever need to make a stop or you feel your car start to skid, ease off the
accelerator first. Your vehicle will slow down on its own.
6) Avoid Driving at Night
You are 3 times more likely to be in a fatal auto accident
during the nighttime in comparison to daylight hours. However, so many hard
working people hardly see the day time since their drive to work and back home
is during the dark. So if you cannot avoid driving at dark regularly practice
everything we’ve mentioned above to reduce your risk of being in a collision.
7) Approach Traffic Lights With Care
The weather conditions, whether sun glare or rainfall, will
make it harder for your see traffic lights clearly. Therefore approach traffic
lights and all intersections with much more care than usual.
8) Avoid High-gloss Cleaning Products
When you’re washing or waxing your vehicle, these kind of
products will actually magnify the sun’s glare which puts both you and other
drivers on the road at risk.
Be a Smart Driver on the Road
Driving can be a daily ritual, and each one of us is guilty of allowing it to become a monotonous chore. Safety habits then become in danger of slipping to the back of our mind, and it’s not until you just experienced a collision that you are reminded to pay more attention. Our team at Allstate Burbank highly encourages you to be smart and take the time to examine yourself and the environment around you. These seemingly simple tips usually are dismissed, because almost every driver thinks it won’t happen to them. However, it can and it will if you neglect this guidance.
Put your Cell Phone Away
Everyone multi-tasks and our busy lives require us to be in
consistent connection with our loved ones, friends or coworkers. Despite
California having strict cell phone safety laws, many people are still using
their phone while driving. If you absolutely have to use your phone if you are
driving and you do not have a passenger who can help you then the best option
is to pull over. There is no text or call more important than your safety. Your
destination will still be there if you take a minute to stop. If you choose to
use your phone when you are driving your car then you are deliberately choosing
to put other people's’ lives in danger.
Avoid having too many Passengers in your Car
You risk everyone’s safety when you have a full vehicle. It
is said to be just as dangerous as using a cell phone, because too many
passengers can distract you as a driver. If you absolutely need to have a full
car then you will have to focus far more closely on the road. Every single
passenger in that car is your responsibility.
Drive Safe and Be Insured!
Allstate Burbank can help keep you on your feet if you ever
have to deal with any of the dangers and hazards that come with the fall and
winters seasons. However, we want every one of our customers to do their best
to avoid these situations in the first place. Getting Burbank auto insurance
acts as your safety net and encourages you to be the safest driver on the road.
If you want to know more about the details of our Burbank auto insurance
policy contact me, Gino Mattunts, today to set up an appointment. As your
local Allstate Burbank agent, I can help get you onto the road to protection.
Like me on Facebook and follow me on Google+ and Twitter to stay
updated on all the latest news from Allstate Burbank. Remember:
drive safe and drive smart this fall and winter!
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