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"Time just flies when you are having fun" they say!  Well, it seems that we just had spring and now it is fall again...in fact, winter is quickly approaching in some regions!

Tree leaf colors have already changed in the mountains, fall flowers are blooming as gardens are turning brown, and the heat of the summer is long gone, allowing us to save on our utilities. It is a beautiful time of year, is it not?

However, this is the time of the year to exercise caution, as dangers lurk amongst the glorious hues of red, orange and browns of autumn.

People just love to wander the highways and byways of our country especially where forests are to be found. Usually these are older retired folk who have the time to just go drive around to look at colorful leaves. They slow down as an especially colorful stand of trees comes into view and then speed up to find another. These folks are easily distracted by their leaf sightings and can actually wander across a center line or stop abruptly. It is our job to watch for them and not to hit their cars, though it does make our jobs more of a challenge.

Add a good rain to newly fallen foliage and the road underneath can become as slick as ice! If you see a leaf covered road, slow down.

Deer are in rut during the fall and, along with the harvesting of crops, many deer are on the move especially at night and during sunset and sunrise. The majority of the deaths from deer are from people trying to avoid them. State troopers are doing their public service announcements this time of year telling people to HIT the deer; do not try to avoid them. If you hit a deer, your company will likely not mark you with a chargeable accident, but if you wreck the truck while trying to avoid a deer, it will be chargeable.

This time of year, the fog from fluctuating day and night temperatures increases, and many heavy pockets of dense fog in the low lying areas and along waterways. It is not uncommon to be running along under a seemingly clear sky only to go around a corner into a wall of fog. Watch ahead and, even though it is a pain, do not run your fog lights if it is clear. Turn them off when not necessary. Remember to slow down in fog and use your flashers if you are going below the minimum speed limit.

Harvest equipment presents special problems this time of year.  Grain trucks, both semi and smaller, are heavily loaded as they go from the fields to the granaries. A lot of the smaller grain trucks are old and do not go very fast, so they can tie up traffic on a two lane for miles. Also, many of the people who drive these smaller grain trucks are not professionals and only drive during harvest times. They are not used to judging the distances and the abilities of their equipment; many will pull out too close to on-coming traffic.

Then there are the combines themselves. Wide and heavy, they lumber down the road from field to field. Give all farm equipment wide berths and add a little time to your preplan for farm related delays if you are going to be running two lanes.

Geese and ducks will soon be starting their treks south. They fly from field to field, lake to lake, and pond to pond gathering at times into huge flocks with hundreds of their kin. Geese weigh up to 15 pounds; hitting one at traffic speed can take out a windshield or cause a wreck, as can being hit by any large bird. Watch for these birds and slow down if going near a flock that is on the move up from the ground or down to the ground.

Hunting seasons are starting around the country. While liquor and guns are never a good mix at anytime, we all know that many deer camps and other types of fall hunting camps have their share of liquor in them. Drunks at any time are dangerous, but a hung-over or semi-drunk hunter driving in the wee hours to get to his stand before sunrise can present problems. Watch for the weavers and the sudden stops of these types of brown bottle hunters.

School has started and school busses carry precious cargo at all hours of the day and night as they ferry children to and from school and sporting events. School bus drivers run differently than we do and may be fatigued as they go along. Give them some extra room and do not tail gate them (or anyone else for that matter) because they may stop suddenly. Use your flashers, too, when stopped for a school bus and watch for the children.

Football games and other night-time school activities can bring out the kids on dark nights. Many will be wearing dark colored clothing and walking along roads and highways or riding their bikes. Horseplay among them is often seen and one never knows when one kid will push another out onto the road. Slow down at night around schools and through small towns.

It always seems that it is fall when we start hearing of things thrown from overpasses onto trucks and cars. Watch the overpasses as you near them and, if it is clear to do so, change lanes just before you start under them. This will make them miss your vehicle if they do throw anything off the overpass.

Fall means hot cider and pumpkins and cooler weather. Enjoy the beauty of the season as you watch for the hidden dangers amongst the falling leaves.