Fall looks gentle around here. It drives mean. Between the wet leaves on the back roads, the deer that lose their heads in October, and a sun that's suddenly in your eyes at 4:45 on the way home, the SouthCoast packs more close calls into these two months than any other stretch of the year. Slow down, leave more room, wipe your headlights. And if you do get hit, the first few minutes matter more than most people think.
Here's what we see come through the bays once the leaves turn.
Why is fall driving so dangerous around here?
Because three or four bad things show up at the same time, and they feed each other.
Wet leaves are the quiet one. A road covered in them is about as grippy as ice, and the spot people forget is the painted line and the crosswalk, where the leaves pack down and stay slick after the rest of the road dries. Add the first cold mornings and you get frost on a bridge deck while the regular pavement looks fine. The Braga Bridge and the overpasses on Route 24 cool from underneath, so they freeze before anything else.
Then the days get short fast. We lose daylight quickly through October, and the evening commute slides right into dusk, which happens to be when deer move and when glare is worst. None of these is a big deal on its own. Stacked together on a Tuesday at 5:15, they put a lot of cars in front of us.
What's the deal with deer in October and November?
This is when they're least careful, and there are more of them on the move.
Late October into November is the rut, the deer breeding season. Bucks chase does across roads they'd normally avoid, and they do it at dawn and dusk without looking. They also travel in groups, so the one that clears your headlights is rarely alone. If a deer crosses Route 24 or a dark stretch out in Westport or Tiverton, ease off and watch the tree line. There's usually a second.
If you can't avoid one, the hard advice is to not swerve hard for it. A controlled hit straight on does less damage than steering into a tree, a pole, or oncoming traffic at 50. We'd rather repair a front bumper than the alternative. A Jeep Grand Cherokee that catches a deer head-on usually needs a bumper cover, grille, maybe a headlight and the radiator behind it. The driver who yanks the wheel to miss it can end up off the road into something that doesn't move.
We wrote a whole piece on what to do in the minutes after you hit one, including why it's almost always a comprehensive claim and not a collision claim. If deer are your worry this fall, read that here.
How do I handle the glare and the early dark?
Two cheap fixes beat any gadget: clean glass and aimed headlights.
Low fall sun sits right at eye level on east-west roads, and a windshield that looks clean in the garage turns into a wall of white when the sun hits the film of dust and wiper haze on the inside. Clean the inside of the windshield, not just the outside. Most people never do, and it's the single biggest thing standing between you and the car braking ahead of you. Keep a pair of sunglasses in the door.
Headlights matter more now that you're driving home in the dark. If yours have gone cloudy and yellow, they're throwing maybe half the light they should, and oncoming high beams wash you out worse. On a lot of cars the foggy lens can be restored. And if you've had front-end work done and the lights point off, that's worth fixing before the clocks change. A RAV4 with a replaced headlight that's aimed a touch high blinds everyone coming the other way and lights up the trees instead of the road.
One more. Turn your actual headlights on at dusk, not just the daytime running lights. The DRLs leave your taillights dark, so the car behind you can't see you braking in the gloom.
What should I do if I get into an accident this fall?
Get to a safe spot, check that everyone's okay, then document before anything gets moved.
Pull off the travel lane if the car will roll, hazards on. On Route 24 or I-195 that first step is the whole game, because the second crash, the one where someone rear-ends a stopped car in a blind spot, is often worse than the first. Once you're clear, photograph everything: both cars, the angle they're sitting at, the road, any leaves or frost or skid marks that explain what happened. Get names, plates, and insurance info. Call the police for a report.
Before you drive off, walk the front of the car. Green or orange fluid on the ground, a hood that won't latch, a tire rubbing, any of those means call for a tow instead of risking it. We'll coordinate the tow and handle the claim straight with your insurer. For the full minute-by-minute version, here's our after-accident guide.
When you're ready for a number, you don't have to drive in. Snap a few photos of the damage and send them through our free photo estimate, and we'll get back to you with a real figure.
The leaves are pretty for about three weeks. Give yourself the extra car length and the extra minute, especially after dark, and most of the season's trouble stays in the trees where it belongs.
Frequently asked questions
Is hitting a deer covered by insurance?
Usually yes, under comprehensive coverage, which typically doesn't carry an at-fault surcharge the way a collision claim can. Deductibles vary by policy, so check yours. More on how deductibles work is here.
Should I swerve to avoid an animal in the road?
For a deer, most safety guidance says no, brake hard and stay in your lane rather than swerving into something worse. For a smaller animal it's the same idea. A straight hit is almost always more repairable than running off the road.
Why are wet leaves so slippery?
They hold a thin layer of water and oils against the pavement, and packed-down leaves on a painted line or crosswalk give about as much grip as black ice. Brake earlier and gentler when the roads are leaf-covered.
My car still drives after a fall fender-bender. Do I still need it looked at?
Worth a check. Bumpers and headlights hide damage to the structure and sensors behind them, and a front-end hit can knock a car's cameras and radar out of alignment even when nothing looks bent. A quick photo estimate will tell you whether it's cosmetic or more.
