Autumn is one of the last good seasons for Kentucky bicycle owners to enjoy the outdoors before the winter brings down the temperatures and the daylight. Some cyclists even prefer it over summer. There are less boiling hot days, not as much chaos on the streets and there are some gorgeous views around the state as the leaves change colors.
Unfortunately, not all of those places are easy to ride through. There are unique seasonal hazards that make certain areas more dangerous in the fall than they are in the summer. It is important to recognize locations you may want to plan an alternate route for:
School roads
Streets that lead near a local middle school or high school can be the perfect routes for cyclists during the summer since most of the students and teachers have the months off. Once the school year begins in fall, it becomes a completely different environment.
The amount of drivers you’ll see on these roads in the early morning and mid-afternoon dramatically increases. Most schools have a speed limit to significantly reduce the speeds of incoming drivers, but you know there will be parents who might be in a rush to take their kids to class. If you’re near a high school, then many of the drivers heading over there have only had their driver’s license for a couple of months.
Forests
Fall would feel like the perfect time to take a bicycle ride through a forest trail so you can observe beautiful surroundings during your ride. Unfortunately, you know by now that the leaves don’t stay on the trees as the season progresses. Even if it’s not a wet and rainy day, leaves can get incredible slippery and it will become more difficult to continue on these trails since they don’t receive quite as much maintenance as the main roads.
You also have to keep in mind that the sun continues to come down earlier every day. Forest trails aren’t as well lit up at night as the main roads are, so if you plan to go on a ride later in the afternoon after work, keep an eye on the clock and the sky.
As the roads and the weather in Kentucky begin to change around you, it is important to know who to contact in case you are involved in an accident caused by another driver. A personal injury attorney can help you seek compensation so that you can recover both physically and financially.