As summer draws to an end, motorists should be aware that a range of dangers will emerge over the next couple of months. You need to be well prepared, including getting any little cracks and chips on your windscreen repaired.

The AA has issued advice for drivers for dealing with autumn conditions, much of it centred around preparation. For example, it has told drivers to make sure batteries, bulbs and tyre treads are in good shape (or get them replaced) ahead of darker days and wetter road conditions that will become icy on occasions a few months from now.

It also advised motorists how to deal with the low sun, with one of the pieces of advice being to “sort out glass scratches and chips” as they can “intensify the sun’s glare”. This will help you avoid being dazzled and at increased risk of an accident.

While this will be a major risk throughout autumn, it is as the season nears winter that the risk will increase further, with cold weather potentially turning icy.

In that instance, a cracked windscreen is bad news, as any rainwater on it could seep in and expand as it freezes, widening the crack. That could cause the whole windscreen to break and it is also worth remembering that driving with a cracked windscreen could constitute having impeded vision, which will leave you in breach of the Highway Code.

If you are stopped with the screen in such a state you could incur a fine and three points on your licence. If you are in an accident, matters could get worse, both on a criminal liability level and when trying to make an insurance claim (good luck with that!). A cracked window also risks making your car fail its MOT.

For the above reasons, cracked windows can be a problem at any time of year. But amid the autumn low sun and freezing conditions from November onwards, the potential consequences increase. That is why now is the time to act if you need any repairs.