Black ice -- the unseen danger of winter driving

  • Published
  • By Rod Krause
  • 5th Bomb Wing ground safety
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Black ice is an age-old winter phenomenon that has sent many a driver skidding and sliding down what looked like a dry road. It can appear to be a spot of moisture on a road, or may have a slight glisten on black asphalt. Make no mistake though this thin ice is very slick, and can cause a car to skid rapidly on it. Drive carefully on roads where snow banks have melted throughout the day, and exercise caution when driving under bridges and overpasses. 

Recently, one of our own civilian employees was traveling during the hours of darkness, well within the posted speed limit , and suddenly lost control of the vehicle and rolled it due to black ice. Fortunately no one in the vehicle was injured, and the main reason was because everyone was wearing an occupant restraint device (Seatbelt and shoulder harness). 

What can a person do to prepare for black ice? 

Look for signs of ice other than on the roadway. Look for ice on windshield wipers or side view mirrors, on road signs, trees or fences along the highway. If ice is forming on any of those things, it's possible that it may be on the road as well. 

But don't let that be the only guide. Ice may not have formed on anything but the road. For example, it may have been a warm day which melted the snow and then froze as ice after the temperature dropped at night. In other cases there may be ice in shaded areas, such as cuts through hills and along banks. 

Another good tip for winter driving is to listen to the radio for reports on the temperature outside. When the roads have been wet and the temperature drops below freezing, ice can form quickly. If a person must drive frequently in winter weather, it is a good idea to install an outdoor thermometer in the car, allowing the driver to monitor the outside temperature. 

This is also the type of weather when it is especially important to watch for those signs reminding drivers that bridges freeze before roads. These signs warn drivers there is a bridge ahead and gives them time to slow down so they have better control. 

Remember, if a person lives in an area where frost occurs, black ice is always a possibility. Use extreme caution when driving on cold mornings where there is evidence of frozen moisture on the roadway.