The darker nights will affect all those who drive in the late afternoon and will have been noticed by many people already. Driving in the dark brings its own problems at whatever time of year, but can be more difficult at rush hour.

More traffic on the roads means that it is more likely that you will be dazzled by oncoming vehicles, even if they have dipped their headlights.

If there is a vehicle coming towards you it is difficult, if not impossible, to see something that is just behind it. Pedestrians may be about to walk out into the road and you will not see them until the vehicle's lights have passed you and if you are in the country you may temporarily lose your night vision so that it takes a few seconds to readjust to the dark.

But the inspiration for this article came from a common problem at any time of day - fallen leaves. These can be a problem when near the kerb as they may cover and hide potholes. They may even make it difficult to know exactly where the kerb is.

Wet leaves are even more hazardous as they will be slippery and when broken down become slushy. Extra care must be taken when driving through them, as any sudden braking can cause the car to skid.

Give extra space to cyclists and motorbikes, as they will find it harder to keep their balance in slippery conditions.

Rain is more expected at this time of year and often very heavy, so this may mean speeds need to be greatly reduced to enable you to see clearly even with wipers on full speed. It can be so heavy that it is safer to temporarily stop at an appropriate place rather than to carry on driving.

After heavy rain the water may be running down the road deep enough to affect road handling and debris may be carried with it, such as leaves or even small stones.

When then water subsides this debris may be left across the road and so again, extra care may be needed in places that are usually clear.

In the next month or so a greater danger to driving can be expected, namely fog.

This is something that I will write about in a couple of weeks time, but for now suffice to say that speeds MUST be kept very low with a big gap between vehicles and lights should be used.