Leaves on Road Create Slippery Conditions for Cars in Staten Island

When wet leaves piles up on the side of the road it can quickly create a dangerous situation for drivers on the road.  It is important to take proper precautions as a driver to make sure that you do not become a victim of a car accident caused by wet leaves. 

Leaves fall from the trees in the fall months and when wet can cause the roadways to become slick. This situation is made worse sometimes when homeowners rake leaves off of their lawn. In some states there are policies in place as to how raked leaves should disposed of. It is the practice of some states and/or cities to bag leaves either in a paper leaf bag or in a specific can. In other states and cities leaves are to be bagged in regular garbage bags or put in regular garbage pails while in other states and cities it is fine to dispose of raked leaves however the homeowner determines they would like them disposed of such as just raking the leaves and leaving them on the side of the road unbagged. 

Unbagged leaves raked on the side of the road can create for a bag situation if mixed with stormy weather. Wind can cause the leaves to blow further into the street and rain, snow or ice can cause the leaves to become slippery. While as a driver you cannot always avoid a situation like this here are some tips for driving with wet leaves: 

• Replace worn tires
• Replace high performance tires with winter or all-season tires
• Replace worn windshield wipers
• Replace worn brakes
• Determine (if you do not already know) if you have anti-locked brakes - If you have a vehicle with anti-lock brakes you should not pump the brakes. This will only reduce the car's traction because of the car's computer.