Munich  - With dark, foggy and wet days of autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere causing slippery roads and poor visibility conditions, safety organisations have appealed to motorists to be especially alert. Here are some tips for safer motoring:

- Headlights should be switched on also during daytime. Some insurance companies refuse to compensate costs of an accident if the driver has failed to light-up.

The headlights should never be switched on bright in foggy conditions because the water drops are reflected more strongly by the bright light, worsening visibility.

Check the condition of the wiper blades and replace if necessary. Never use them on an iced windscreen. Scrape and clean the entire windscreen before starting your journey.

Regularly clean the glass covers for the headlights which are often covered with muck during the wet days sooner than you may think.

Pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists should at best wear light clothing with reflectors. Children especially can best be protected this way because they are often on the road to school in the early and dark hours of the morning.

Autumn leaves, mud, ice and rain often create a slippery sliding slope on the road. Motorists are therefore advised to treble the distance to the car in front. Even modern safety systems such as anti-lock brakes (ABS) and high-quality winter tyres are no guarantee of a quick stop.

If you have not done so already, then it is time to have the car winter-serviced by the local service station with a special check on tyres, brakes and anti-freeze liquids. (dpa)