As the deciduous trees around Tennessee begin to prepare for the colder months, they will drop their leaves. The colorful show that precedes the leaves falling makes autumn one of the most beautiful times of the year.
However, all of those dead leaves falling to the ground also makes the roads particularly hazardous during the Autumn months. There are two particularly worrisome ways that leaves on the road could lead to crashes.
Leaves could cover dangerous debris or potholes
You need to be able to see the road surface in front of you to know how to drive properly. When there are a lot of accumulated leaves on the pavement, you may not spot a dangerous section of road ahead of you until you actually hit the pothole or go over the broken glass. You can potentially pop a tire or lose control of your vehicle, leading to a crash or at least a roadside service call.
Leaves make the roads dangerously slippery
Both wet leaves and dry leaves reduce the amount of traction your tires will have on the road. Even a handful of leaves could lead to a crash, but thick coverage can be particularly risky, as the layers of leaves could prevent your tires from touching the pavement at all.
You may need to lower your speeds and take extra care when turning in areas with a lot of leaves on the road. You may also want to choose routes that you know will have fewer trees during the weeks when the left on the ground is heaviest.
Identifying different seasonal risk factors can help you reduce your chances of getting into a car crash.
