Ahh, the fall weather. Things cool off, the holiday season is here, fireplaces are burning, and, well, the roads are becoming more dangerous!
Driving in fall weather is no joke with the unique and temporary hazards it provides. For example, wet leaves on the pavement can act just the same as ice, and as soon as those wet leaves are gone, it will be replaced with actual ice!
If you’re the parent of a teen driver, all of the above might have you cringing.
Due to your age and experience in driving, you may already know by now that driving in fall weather poses some unique challenges, but your teen has yet to experience that.
Why is it that there are so many events and things to do when the weather is the most likely to be challenging? Football games, school dances, even drama productions go on during the fall!
What are you supposed to do when your teen gets his driver’s license? Turn him into a reverse vampire who stays in at night and only goes out in the daylight?
Since we all know how unrealistic that is, we’ve come up with a few ideas that might ease your worried mind and help make your teen a better driver when it comes to the adventures of autumn.
The Challenges Of Driving In Fall Weather
First, let your teen driver know that there are several things that can make driving in fall weather trickier than driving in the summer.
Back to school season means more buses,, more pedestrians, and more cars on the road causing more traffic jams and stops.
Falling leaves make roadways slick, hide potholes, and cover lane markings.
And when it rains? They get wet enough to feel like diving on ice.
Speaking of ice, the frost is on the pumpkin and the roadways, so look out for icy patches on bridges, overpasses, and shaded areas.
Fog becomes a consideration as the nights are chilled while the days are still warm, making visibility treacherous.
Sometimes fog can last well into the late morning until the sun can burn it off. But as the sun burns off the fog, it causes its own host of problems, such as high glare from midday to setting.
Lastly, don’t forget that this is mating and migrating season for deer so you might find them out and about more often than not, especially in early darkness.
So Long, Cell Phone
The best way for your teen to watch out for the changes that happen while driving in fall weather and every other season is for them to be alert and aware at all times.
If you’ve never put your foot down over cell phone usage while driving before, do it before she gets behind the wheel.
A “quick” text is no match for the quickness of a leaping deer.
Looking up from the keypad into the suddenly shifting and glaring sunshine can be a disaster. Make it clear that there are no negotiations on this one.
You might sound like a nag, but you’ll keep your kid alive and nag able for years to come.
Preparation For Driving In The Fall Makes Perfect
Other things to talk to your teen about before he starts driving in fall weather, and for you to consider when you drive, is all about preparation:
- Stay within the speed limit; less if conditions or visibility are poor
- Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you to allow reaction time
- Skip the high beams and stick with low which are better in fog and won’t cause glare
- Clear windshields of dirt and debris inside and frost and ice outside
- Keep your eyes peeled for deer and other wildlife in early morning and evening hours
- Checking and regulating your tire pressure is essential as the temps fluctuate and affect the pressure daily
Driver’s Ed Online Programs Can Be Beneficial
There is much to be said about driver’s Ed online programs.
Though you can take your pick of multiple courses out there, we’d like to suggest driversed.com.
This company has been around for more than 20 years already. They have made it big by repackaging the material from your usual in-person driver’s ed courses into an online traffic school.
So what’s the advantage of taking the course online through DriversEd? Isn’t it the same as taking the course in a classroom setup?
Content-wise, yes. You’ll learn everything that you’ll need to learn from a driver’s education online, just the same if you take the class in person.
But an online driver’s ed has a lot of perks in store for you.
The first one, of course, is convenience. You can take this online course 100% online. This means that you can finish the course even without getting out of bed. You can take the course on your phone or your laptop, and you can access the materials 24/7. No need to go to an actual, physical school! Yay!
Another advantage here is that online courses are more entertaining, and in a way, enjoyable.
Your teen will love the graphics and animation with a cool 3D look that will hold their attention. The best part is, your teen can learn as she goes, on her busy schedule.
Why We Like Them
We like driversed.com for many reasons.
The Interactive courses are full of graphics and easy-to-understand content to ensure drivers retain knowledge, which is of the utmost importance when it comes to teens who can barely remember to throw their clothes into the hamper.
And with teens who live and breathe on their electronic devices, they have multiple platforms available; he can start a course on his computer, continue on his tablet, and finish on his phone.
For you, it’s important to know that friendly US-based agents are there for support wherever (and whenever) you need them, 24/7.
Plus, this company offers practice permit tests if your teen hasn’t quite gotten that far yet. This way you know that she’ll nail the test and not just luck out with good guessing!
Practice Makes Perfect
When it comes to driver’s Ed online programs, you can’t go wrong with one that prides itself on being well rounded, engaging, and completely certified.
Reviewing the material with your teen can be helpful so that you’ll both be on the same page when you go out driving together.
It will surely give you something better to talk about other than the latest queen-bee drama at school, or something better to listen to than the silence that comes from teenage boy hormones!
Best of luck to you both and we hope you enjoy the thrills of fall before the chills of winter set in. But that’s a whole other set of driving tips!
Have Fun Driving in Fall Weather
With all that said, driving in fall weather can be fun, despite the dangers and hazards that you and your teen may come across.
The key to enjoying driving in this season is in your own hands. Just keep on following the basic rules of safe driving and you’re on the safe side of things.
Accidents can happen, but it’s less likely to happen if you’ve taken proper measures in becoming a responsible driver.
As a parent, you’d want to keep your teen safe from harm. However, you should always relax when they take the wheel. Your teen may not be at your level of experience right now, but they’ll get there. The important thing is you’re there to learn with them.
Best of luck to you both and we hope you enjoy the thrills of fall before the chills of winter set in. But that’s a whole other set of driving tips!
