It’s looking like Mother Nature may be sending us some ice to skate on this Christmas. When traveling over the Christmas holiday, just remember to give yourself some extra time to get to your destination. Here are a few tips for dealing with what Mother Nature may be sending our way. 1. Understand that black ice is like regular ice. It is a glaze that forms on surfaces (especially roads, sidewalks, and driveways) because of a light freezing rain or because of melting and re-freezing of snow, water, or ice on surfaces. Its called black ice because it tends to look like the rest of the pavement on the road, although in reality, its actually clear. Black ice forms without creating bubbles, which allows it to blend in with any surface it forms over. Black ice is dangerous precisely because its hard to detect in advance. 2. Know where to expect black ice. Black ice usually forms just about the freezing point. Sometimes in frigid weather conditions on highways, black ice will form due to the heat of tires on the road coupled with the freezing temperature. Keep an eye on the weather and highway reports. • Black ice forms most commonly at night or in the early morning when the temperatures are at their lowest, or when the sun isnt around to warm the roads. • Black ice tends to form on parts of the road without much sunshine, such as along a tree-lined route or a tunnel. It will also form more frequently on roads that are less traveled on. • Black ice forms readily on bridges, overpasses and the road beneath overpasses. This is because the cold air is able to cool both the top and under the bridge or overpass, bringing about faster freezing. 3. Know when to expect black ice. Black ice tends to form in the early morning and evening. During the daylight hours, the road is usually warmer and less likely to create black ice. But remember: less likely does not mean never. Always be prepared for the possibility of encountering black ice. • See the signs of black ice. If you are driving and see cars suddenly swerve for no apparent reason, black ice is a likely cause. 4. Deal with a black ice encounter. If you do hit black ice, your first reaction must be to remain calm and avoid overreacting. The general rule is to do as little as possible and allow the car to pass over the ice. Do not hit the brakes, and try to keep the steering wheel straight. If you feel the back end of your car sliding left or right, make a very gentle turn of the steering wheel in the same direction. If you try to struggle against it by steering in the opposite direction, you risk skidding or spinning out (see below for what to do if this happens). 5. Slow down by de-accelerating. Lift your feet off the accelerator completely and keep your steering wheel fixed in the position its in. Slowing down will give you more control and prevent needless damage. • Do not touch the brakes. Doing so will likely cause you to skid. The idea is to slide over the ice in the direction the steering wheel is facing; usually black ice patches arent longer than 20 feet. 6. If you can, shift into a low gear. Low gears will give you more control. Head for areas of traction. Black ice is virtually invisible, but you may be able to head towards areas of pavement that offer more traction. Such areas of traction may include textured ice, snow-covered areas, spots with sand, etc. 7. If you skid or lose traction, stay calm. Hopefully, you are now going slow and this will make it easier. Black ice is often (although not always) patchy, so hopefully your tires will soon find traction. Use the minimum amount of braking possible, although some braking will be necessary if skidding a lot, as follows: • If you have anti-lock braking system (ABS), just put your foot on the brake, apply firm pressure and the car will pump the brakes for you as you skid. • If you dont have ABS, pump the brakes gently as you skid. • Always steer the car in the direction you want the car to go. 8. If you end up going off the road, try to steer into things that will cause the minimum amount of damage. Ideally, steer into an empty field, a yard, or a fluffy snow bank. Of course, you may not have much choice in the matter, but you can at least try. 9. After the black ice encounter, stay calm. Youre likely to be a bit rattled, but panicking isnt going to help at any stage. If you must keep driving, do so very, very slowly. Alert other drivers that youre going slowly by using your caution lights. 10. Get off the road as soon as possible. Its better to wait a while at a rest stop or even on the side of the road until the road crews can salt and/or sand the roads than to deal with an accident. This will also provide you with a chance to recover your senses and feel less panicked. 11. If there is a pile up: Very rarely ice and/or black ice can make extremely hazardous conditions that can cause multi-car accidents on a highway. You will have to evaluate quickly whether staying in your car (where you have some safety protection) or getting out (where you can flee further collisions but will have to walk on icy surfaces, in freezing temperatures, with other cars spinning out of control around you) is safer. Consider your location, the speed of travel, geographic location, your warmth, and your physical abilities. 12. Prevent or minimize future encounters with black ice. There are several things that you can do to reduce the chances of being surprised by black ice. While knowing how to drive on it remains a number one priority, here are some other things to do: • Travel slowly. Dont try to speed during icy weather as this will take away any control you might have had on the black ice. • Dont tailgate. • Keep your windshield clear of ice, snow, dirt, and anything else that can prevent you from seeing out of it properly. To get snow and ice off the windshield of your car, you might be tempted to turn on your windshield wipers. It might seem like the wipers and the washer fluid will work, but they dont. In fact, if you use your windshield wipers to get ice off the windshield, you could ruin them. Use an ice scraper to scrape the ice from the windshield of your car before starting the vehicle. • Turn your headlights on early in the afternoon to help you see any possible sheen from black ice. • Check your tire tread. Worn tread causes accidents in any conditions, and will ensure you lack traction when needed on black ice. In addition, consider having snow tires fitted. • An important thing to remember is to NEVER drive in potentially icy conditions with your cruise control active.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:13:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015