Black Ice
Winter driving can even be a headache for expert drivers. While a road filled with snow is a clear-cut safety hazard, a road that appears to be wet can be even more dangerous.
Black ice is so hazardous because it forms as a clear coating on the pavement that is often undetectable. In fact, snow or ice that has risen in temperature and refrozen can actually blend in with the road, creating a deceivingly dry effect. Temperatures don’t even need to drop below freezing for black ice to occur; as long as the temperature is near freezing black ice can develop even a few degrees above 32°F.
Obviously, a shiny road means it is wet or icy, but a road coated with black ice has a different appearance. A surface covered in black ice will often have a bit of a darker tone and look duller than the surrounding road. Since black ice is so difficult to identify, the driver may not realize what they have encountered until they are sliding on top of the black ice. Here are some suggestions that will help you avoid a disaster on black ice:
- Right when your car begins to skid, let your foot off the accelerator because giving it gas will only worsen your situation. Logically, you should always slow down on ice or in any other winter road conditions.
- Your initial reaction may be to forcefully step on the brake, but you will probably lose control. Instead, slightly hit the brake as opposed to slamming on it.
- If you believe black ice lies ahead (e.g., other cars are sliding), shift into a lower gear prior to touching the black ice. The lower the gear, the more slowly you must drive, and you should feel more secure.
- If you begin to slide on the ice, rotate the steering wheel in the same direction your car is drifting. This makes it easier to get the vehicle positioned back on the right path.
- Make sure you leave a liberal amount of space between yourself and other drivers. During a black ice warning, you should lag at least 200 feet behind the car ahead of you. Keep in mind that even if you have experience driving on black ice, by no means is the driver ahead of you as proficient. You should always be prepared for other cars that may veer off course.
- Don’t get the false impression that you can tear right through black ice simply because you’re sitting high inside a pickup truck or SUV. Four-wheel drive vehicles are excellent for driving in snow, but they won’t do a bit of good on black ice and have no advantage over two-wheel drive vehicles. So, these tips apply to all people no matter what they’re driving.
- Inspect your tires regularly to guarantee that the tread is still in good shape. Balding tires will make it that much more tricky to get through black ice.
- Black ice frequently occurs on roads bordering bodies of water, inside tunnels, and in shady or rural locations. Bridges and overpasses are also prime areas for black ice to build up. You should take precaution when traveling where ice is more prone to form.