All about Trucking

What is Black Ice?

Black ice is a thin coat of glazed ice on a surface. And it isn't black – it's actually clear, but it takes on a dark colouring from the pavement below it. Because it is so thin, it is often invisible to the human eye. Black ice can form in many ways but the most common way is from melting snow on or beside the road. Thus, ice is most slippery when temperatures are near freezing (26-32F) and is much less slippery when temperatures reach the single digits and below. So if the air temperature is just below freezing and ice is on the roadway, extra care is warranted. Bridges and overpasses can be especially dangerous. Black ice forms first on bridges and overpasses because air can circulate both above and below the surface of the elevated roadway when the ambient temperature drops, causing the bridge pavement temperature to fall more rapidly.

What to do if you hit black ice

The first thing you must do is not panic. If you panic you can over react and cause a crash. Some people when in a panic tend to hit the brakes and hold on tight. Brakes become the enemy in ice. By just letting the vehicle roll without hitting the brakes will allow a person to steer and maintain some control. When you hit the brakes in ice or snow your vehicle with travel the opposite direction you steer. The general principle behind this theory is by allowing the wheels to keep turning generally will also allow the vehicle to travel in the direction it is pointed. So when hitting black ice take your foot off the pedal or maintain the same speed not making any sudden turns and the vehicle should safely travel past the ice. Never compress the fuel pedal, this can make the vehicle kick out and lose control.

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