Autumn Automotive Advice

As we move into the last few months of the year, making sure our vehicles are ready for the unpredictable autumn weather is extremely important. Whether it’s foggy mornings or wet weekends, here are some top tips on how to drive safely during adverse weather conditions.

As temperatures start to drop the chance of fog increases so knowing what to do when there is reduced visibility whilst travelling is important. Use your fog light setting on your headlights when appropriate to help with visibility. As soon as conditions improve enough, you must switch them off for risk of dazzling other drivers.

Adjusting your speed to allow enough stopping distance ahead of you is also especially important with increased potential road hazards. Being extra vigilant with leaving a bigger gap between you and the vehicle in front and checking mirrors before slowing down can help reduce the chances of motorists behind you from being unable to react should you need to stop or slow down.

In heavy rain, headlights should always be on. With such conditions, stopping distances heavily reduce due to wet surfaces, so leaving almost twice as much space between your vehicle and the one in front of you is recommended. Driving slower during these conditions can help reduce the risk of aquaplaning; this is when a layer of water builds between the wheels of a vehicle and the road surface which leads to traction loss.

With the increase of rain, there becomes more chance of flooding. Avoid floods and areas of standing water when possible and do not try to drive into water that’s moving or over 20cm deep. If travelling through water is unavoidable, move slowly to avoid creating a bow wave which might flood your engine. Make sure you test your brakes as soon as it’s safe to do so once out of the water.

High winds are also another weather risk factor. On roads, they can topple high sided vehicles, cars and bikes can be forced to swerve and extreme winds can cause trees to be knocked down. When it’s windy, keep both hands on the steering wheel and be prepared for sudden gusts, especially when approaching exposed stretches of road.

Remaining vigilant and keeping an eye out for objects in the road, such as branches, will help to reduce the chances of road accidents. Lowering your speed in general will help reduce stopping times and is especially important during night-time driving and journeys.

If you want to make sure your vehicle is autumn ready, you can visit and book an appointment at Croyland’s Service & MOT Centre by calling 01933 413 415