Weather Wise: The Dangers of Wet Leaves

Tyler Ryan discusses the impact driving on wet leaves can have when it comes to stopping your car

COLUMBIA SC (WOLO) – The concept of stopping your car isn’t all that complex…you press the peddle on the left – or the one in the middle – and the car slows to a stop…in a perfect world, that is.  If you have ever driven on wet or icy roads, you know that the issue of stopping the car becomes, or can become, slightly more challenging.

Have you, however, thought about how autumn can impact your driving experience?  Although foliage is very often beautiful, and people travel from far and to “leaf peep,” wet leaves can create a potentially dangerous driving experience.  If you have ever jumped in a pile of fallen leaves, you probably remember that they tend to be a bit stiff and have something of a wax coating on them.  This is where the driving issue comes in.  If they are wet, and you are trying to stop, or even drive fact, they can be even more slippery than many other driving conditions.

Let’s say that you are traveling at 40 MPH (and let’s face it, who does that?!), on a dry road, it will take you about 80 feet to stop.  On a wet road, that distance increases to 160 feet. On wet leaves, however, that distance jumps to 250 feet.

Remember, if you are loving your drive down that county road that is covered in leaves, you want to make sure you leave a lot more space from you and the vehicle in front of you.  If you find yourself needing to slow down on wet leaves, do not slam on your brakes, simply let off the gas.  If you have to use your brakes, and get into a skid, like on ice, turn into the stop, and slow down.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tyler Ryan is an award winning television and radio personality, weather forecaster, writer, investigative journalist, and professional emcee.  He appears daily on ABC Columbia’s Good Morning Columbia, as well as hosting the syndicated radio program Carolina Cares on the South Carolina Radio Network, and the iHeart Radio Network.  Tyler also regularly appears as a criminal expert and journalist on regional and national crime based programs like Snapped and Killer Couples.  You can contact him directly via EMAIL Or on the socials: Tyler’s Instagram  // Tyler’s Facebook