The AA has published an interesting statistic relating to the number of road traffic accidents that took place in the 2 weeks immediately after when the clocks were put back in late October 2023. Apparently, the number of accidents rose by 11% in comparison to the 2 weeks leading up to the change in the clock times. We are sure that you will agree this is a concerning statistic.

Of course, as a taxi driver you will be out and about working in various times of the day so almost certainly you will be driving when it is starting to get dark as well as in total darkness.

Because of the weather in the autumn months, roads tend to be more susceptible to being wet and slippery due to it raining, snowing or being frosty.

Apparently, 73% of motorists felt that the most concerning factor about driving during the autumn months was the dazzle caused by the sun when it gets low. Most of us have been driving along and being faced with the sun shining in our faces and having to put our sun visors down on the car windscreen.

Another concern amongst drivers was how some other drivers use their lights with 52% of motorists feeling this was a concern. Taxi drivers will no doubt have encountered times when they are dazzled by some other motorists having failed to dip their headlights soon enough. Some modern car headlights do seem to be brighter than on some older vehicles.

You may wish to consider adjusting how you drive in the autumn. For instance, why not consider reducing your speed slightly as it takes longer to stop when the roads are wet. Keep a greater distance between you and the car in front as it takes longer to come to a halt when the roads are slippery. Make sure that your tyres have a good depth on the tread. Have you thought about carrying a pair of sunglasses with you to reduce the dazzle of the sun?

We hope that taxi drivers find the above of interest. The last thing that you want to happen is that you are involved in a road traffic accident that ends up keeping you from working as this would probably impact your income.