Fall has some of the best weather you will ever see in North Louisiana. While Ouachita Parish doesn’t get the colorful foliage the residents in the more northern states enjoy in autumn, the sunny, milder days and cool nights bring welcome relief to those who are ready for a change from the unrelenting heat and humidity.
But fall driving carries some unique hazards for motorists. Just because our leaves don’t change colorfully before they fall doesn’t mean that they won’t accumulate on the road and cause your car to skid in a patch of them. Read on for some other autumn driving challenges for Louisiana motorists.
Halloween trick-or-treaters
While this year is quite different from others for many reasons, many parents still plan to indulge their children and allow them to trick-or-treat as they normally would. If you are out driving during trick-or-treat hours this Halloween, you should drive slower than you normally would so that you can prevent a tragic accident from occurring. It only takes a second for an excited and costumed child to dart between two parked cars and into your path, and nobody wants that.
Shorter days, longer nights
As the days shorten and the nights get longer, the sun drops down into the horizon right about the time many Monroe commuters are making the drive back home each evening. The glare from the sun can make it challenging to see that a light has changed from green to yellow or even red. Wearing sunglasses and keeping your sun visor free of paperwork can help block some of the rays.
Be ready for cold mornings
If it’s autumn, it will soon be cold in the morning when you go out to crank up your vehicle to leave for work. If your car’s or truck’s battery is old or weak, it can leave you stranded and make you late for work. Fall is a good time to install a new battery that will get you through the winter, no matter how low the mercury dips.
Accidents don’t take seasonal breaks
No matter how cautious and conscientious you are about your and others’ safety, the plain truth is that anyone — anywhere — can have an accident at any time. When it happens to you, you want to be proactive.
Get the medical treatment you need to heal quickly. Then, once you are on the road to recovery, file a claim for damages with the insurance company of the at-fault driver who caused your accident and subsequent injuries.
