The description of black ice highlights the dangers attached to its presence. It is an undetectable icy patch on a roadway, making it a road hazard. Because the ice is transparent, the patch cannot be seen by someone that is driving on a dark payment, even when the driver’s eyes stay focused on the road.
Because any unlighted surface looks dark, black ice becomes more of a problem between sunset and sunrise. It also forms during periods of thawing and freezing. That fact helps to pinpoint the most likely locations for development of the icy, undetectable hazard.
Spots most apt to aid formation of black ice
Those undetectable icy patches form most readily in two spots. Those are places where a section of road gets colder faster than the main roadway. Where does that happen? It happens on bridges and overpasses.
Response of driver must make up for the patch’s characteristics.
The driver has no way of knowing that he or she is passing over a patch of black ice. Yet that icy spot can cause the driver’s vehicle to enter a slide. The rear tires start sliding in one specific direction, to the left or to the right. Braking makes the situation worse. When the vehicle starts to slide, the driver should take his or her foot off the brake. The tires have no traction.
The driver should move straight into the slide. In other words, the driver needs to turn the front wheels in the same direction in which the rear wheels are sliding. This can frighten the passengers, but it represents the proper response.
How the passenger should respond
Ideally, no passenger will start screaming. It will not hurt if one of the passengers closes his or her eyes and starts praying. It could also be argued that praying does not help. Still, it allows the driver to remain calm and to think clearly. If the driver’s nerves do not get tested by someone else in the sliding vehicle, the recommended response should work to prevent an accident. Proof of that fact was demonstrated on a cold winter night, when a station wagon hit a patch of dark ice.
The rear tires on this station wagon began sliding to the left. The driver took his foot off the brake and turned in the direction of the slide. He remained calm, even though it took a while for his actions to force attainment of the desired result.
For a while it seemed like the station wagon was headed for the right side of the road. However, the driver managed to regain control but in many cases, it leads to catastrophic accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured on the road accident, call on an injury lawyer in Chatham.