The Nashua Telegraph recently reported that the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism expected about 7.8 million “leaf peepers” to flood New Hampshire between September and the end of November. These leaf peepers—tourists seeking out the beauty of changing autumn leaves—produce the largest number of visitors to New England each year.
Yankee Magazine reports that an average of 1,400 cars per hour pass through New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch on Columbus Day each October, while the population of Lincoln swells to 31,750. That’s 30,500 tourists, and 1,250 local residents. And don’t even try to grab breakfast at Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill. You’ll be waiting for at least two hours while the 65-seat establishment attempts to serve 600 patrons a day during peak leaf peeper season.
Keep Calm, and Drive On
We agree with the leaf peepers. Fall in New Hampshire is magical; where else would you want to be? And while this annual pilgrimage of foliage-followers is a boon to New Hampshire’s economy, it can also be an inconvenience to local drivers. We’ve all seen them, those slow-driving, sudden-stopping, camera-waving leaf peepers crowding our roadways and sometimes making driving conditions perilous.
With the significant increase in vehicle and pedestrian traffic as well as the other changes that come with the new season, local drivers need to remain patient and cautious. We all need to be far more aware of our surroundings and make sure that we are making adjustments to our driving habits.
- If you are driving behind a car with out-of-state license plates, give them extra space in case they stop quickly, make a sudden turn or otherwise cause a disruption to the flow of traffic.
- The beautiful changing—and falling—leaves that everyone is clamoring to see can also be a serious nuisance. Leaves in the road can become slippery when they are wet, increasing the danger of hydroplaning or losing control of your vehicle.
- Beware of leaves covering potholes and obscuring traffic lines and other pavement markings.
- Changing weather conditions can mean that it is warm and sunny one minute, and cool, foggy or rainy the next. Be sure that your driving is appropriate for conditions.
- Slow down! Between the extra cars on the road, the falling leaves and the changing weather conditions, you never know what you might encounter. Be especially cautious around turns; you could happen upon a leaf peeper and lose control or be unable to stop.
- Increase the distance between you and the cars around you. Leaf peepers are notorious for sudden stops and turns. You need to drive as if everyone around you might suddenly slow down or stop.
- Keep your windshield wipers free of leaves and other debris.
- Be especially careful for people out walking in the early morning or evening seeking photo opportunities with the waking sun or the day’s last rays. Visibility is often somewhat reduced at these times, which can be even more hazardous with greater numbers of unfamiliar motorists and pedestrians on the road.
And some advice for you leaf peepers out there:
- If you don’t know where you are going or you want to stop to take a photograph, pull over and let other motorists pass you.
- Obey local traffic signs and laws, and take note of animal-crossing signs.
- Have a good map and plan your route ahead of time. You will be less likely to make sudden turns or stops and create unsafe conditions for other drivers.
- If you want to take a picture, find a place to park safely and legally.
We welcome the leaf peepers to our beautiful state, and we are so proud of all that our state has to offer year-round. But please remember to drive carefully, be respectful of other drivers and stay safe!
