Wet Leaves, Heavy Rain and Low Sun: Autumn Driving Hazards to Watch Out For

Payday is a useful time for getting organised. Bills paid. Budget checked. Maybe even a little left over for something enjoyable.

It can also be a good reminder to give your car a quick once over, especially as September brings a very different set of driving conditions.

The evenings are getting darker, the weather is becoming wetter and roads that felt completely straightforward a few weeks ago can suddenly look and behave very differently.

The good news is that many of the most useful autumn checks cost absolutely nothing.

Watch out for wet leaves

They might look nice on an autumn walk, but wet leaves on the road can create surprisingly slippery conditions. RAC autumn driving guidance warns that compressed wet leaves can significantly reduce grip and can also hide potholes, dips and other hazards in the road. 

Slow down when travelling through areas covered in leaves, particularly on bends or tree-lined roads, and allow more space between you and the vehicle ahead.

Give yourself more room in the rain

Heavy rain reduces visibility and increases stopping distances. The Highway Code advises that stopping distances can double on wet roads, and RAC guidance recommends slowing down and increasing the gap between you and the car in front when conditions deteriorate. That extra bit of space could make all the difference if traffic suddenly slows.

Check your wipers

This one takes seconds. Switch them on and make sure they clear the windscreen properly without smearing, juddering or leaving large areas untouched.

Summer can be surprisingly tough on wiper blades, and you don’t want to discover they need replacing halfway through a September downpour. If they are worn, payday might be a sensible time to replace them before the weather gets worse.

Keep your screenwash topped up

Autumn roads bring rain, dirt, spray and plenty of debris onto the windscreen. Make sure you have enough screenwash and use a product suitable for the colder temperatures ahead. Again, it’s a small expense now that could save a lot of frustration later.

Look out for low sun

Autumn sun sits lower in the sky, which means glare can suddenly become a problem during morning and evening journeys.

Keep your windscreen clean, use your sun visor and have a decent pair of sunglasses within reach. RAC advice specifically highlights low autumn sun as a seasonal visibility hazard, particularly when glare is combined with a dirty or streaky windscreen. 

Our recent glovebox article may have finally given you a reason to clear enough space to keep those sunglasses somewhere sensible.

Check your lights

The darker mornings and evenings mean we rely on our lights much more. Take a minute to check your headlights, brake lights and indicators are all working properly.

Don’t forget fog lights and number plate lights either. If you can, ask someone to stand outside the car while you operate the different lights, or use a reflection in a window or garage door to help you check them. Free, quick and worth doing.

Have a look at your tyres

Your tyres are the only part of the car in contact with the road, and grip becomes even more important when roads are cold, wet or covered in leaves.

Check the pressures and have a look at the tread and general condition. If anything looks damaged or you’re unsure whether your tyres are safe, get them checked professionally.

Tyres are one of those things where putting off an expense can potentially become far more costly later on.

Be careful with standing water

A big puddle might look harmless, but it can be difficult to know how deep the water actually is or what might be hidden underneath.

Driving too quickly through standing water can also cause your tyres to lose contact with the road surface, known as aquaplaning. If conditions are particularly bad or a road appears flooded, don’t take unnecessary risks.

RAC advice recommends assessing conditions carefully and avoiding driving into water where you cannot safely judge its depth. 

Check the little things before they become expensive things

Not everything your car needs costs money. Checking the lights, tyre pressures, fluid levels, wipers and what you’re carrying in the car can all be done at home.

And if one of those checks does uncover something that needs attention, dealing with it around payday may be easier than waiting until it turns into an urgent problem halfway through the month.

It’s a little like the rest of the household budget. The boring jobs aren’t necessarily the ones we want to spend money on. They’re often the ones we’re happiest we sorted before they became bigger ones.

Ten minutes well spent

You don’t need to spend your weekend giving the car a complete overhaul. Ten minutes is enough to check:

Lights. Tyres. Wipers. Screenwash.

Then clear anything obstructing your view, make sure you’ve got your sunglasses somewhere accessible and you’re already better prepared for the changing season.

Payday might normally be about what’s coming into the bank account. But sometimes, a few free checks are the best way to stop money unnecessarily going out of it later.