Driving in Autumn – Good Tires and Brakes are Essential

You might not be able to tell with the temperate still in the 70s and 80s, but Autumn is here. If you weren’t sure about it, Halloween decorations have started to pop up all over the neighborhood. One house in our area built a spider larger than their house with a web that took over their entire front yard. It looks fantastic during the day, but at night we can imagine that it could be terrifying.

With the Autumn comes falling leaves, and with the falling leaves comes an extremely dangerous hazard for all vehicles and pedestrians alike.

Cars can be complex machines, especially newer cars with computers, push-button starts, and advanced technologies controlling everything from fuel intake to suspension and braking. Regardless of the technology that runs the car, a thing every car has in common is tires contacting the road. For tires to work correctly, they need to gain sufficient traction. Unfortunately, traction between the road and tires is not always guaranteed when wet leaves are on the ground

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Here are some tips for keeping your tires on the road and keeping yourself and everyone around you safe during the Fall.

Slow Down

When driving on roads that have not been cleared of leaves, it is vital to slow down. Without changing anything else, just easing back on the gas will increase your chances of recovering control of your vehicle if you lose control.

Increase Distance Between Yourself and Car in Front of You

If you are driving through the streets, it is good to keep at least two car lengths between you and the person in front of you. A good rule to follow is that you want to keep one car length back for every 10 miles an hour of speed. When road conditions are not ideal, you may want to increase that to 1½ or 2 car lengths.

Check Your Tires

We cannot say this enough. Check your tires. You need to make sure your tires are in good condition and properly inflated. You also want to have matched pairs. So if you need to replace a front or rear tire, it is a good idea to replace both simultaneously.

Check Your Brakes

Besides your tires, your car must be able to stop your vehicle. If your pads are low or your rotors are not in good condition, you will have a hard time controlling your car, especially when there are wet leaves on the ground, making driving conditions hazardous.

If you are unsure how to check your tires or brakes, bring your car down to the shop, and we will check them out for you.