Beware of Black Ice

(Excerpted from the December 2008 National Safety Council’s publication, Safety and Health)

Driving during the winter presents a number of hazards, not the least of which is the risk of encountering black ice.  According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, black ice is formed when the air is warmer than the payment, causing moisture to quickly form into a transparent layer of ice.  Auto emissions can cause black ice to form on heavily congested roads as well as on shaded areas, near lakes and rivers, in tunnels and on overpasses and bridges.

Black ice can look similar to a dry road and many motorists may not even realize ice is present until their vehicle begins to slide.  Drivers can help neutralize the risk of black ice by taking the following precautions:

• Make sure your vehicle’s tires are in good condition and provide good traction.
• Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.  Stopping on ice takes twice as long as stopping on a dry road, so maintain a minimum of three-car distance from the vehicle ahead of you.
• Shift into a lower gear in you suspect an area is icy.  If you see cars ahead of you skidding, shifting into a lower gear will slow down your vehicle and increase your control.
• If you feel your vehicle begin to skid, take your foot off of the accelerator.  When your vehicle begins to skid out of control, your first inclination may be to slam on the brakes, but this will only make the skid worse.  Turn in the direction the car is skidding, rather than against it.  This will help you regain control of the vehicle and get it back on the right track.