As winter approaches, it brings along difficult road conditions: snow, hail, blizzards. But black ice takes a special place in this dangerous mix. Even seasoned drivers can be easily fooled by it, as it is invisible for the most part. Let’s look a little closer at the precautions that help truck drivers to stay safer on winter roads.

How is black ice formed on the roads?

Black ice is a very thin layer of water, coming from light rain, melting snow, or excessive humidity in the air that freezes at 0 C. As it forms a very thin layer over asphalt without any bubbles or air traps and stays absolutely transparent. This difficulty to spot it creates one of its main dangers.

As it forms during the colder temperatures is more likely to appear during the night or early morning. While during even a colder sunny day ice or snow still melts on the roads, without the sun the water turns into ice quickly. Strong wind is also a factor

Although most roads and highways are well maintained in winter with salt, sometimes the snow that turns into water freezes back overnight turning into black ice.   

Where is black ice more likely to appear?

Since black ice requires specific weather conditions it is more likely to appear:

• Parts of road that do not get sunshine – tunnel entrances, exits, tree-lined roads, mountainous areas
• Bridges 
• Roads with uneven asphalt
• Overpasses & Beneath overpasses
• Roads with high snowbanks and strong winds
• Windy areas (often marked with road signs)

As you see, the appearance of black ice is a combination of a few factors: weather & terrain. The ability to connect these factors will help you to spot it faster.

How to spot black ice?

As we noted before, black ice is very tough to spot, as it is very thin and transparent. It is completely invisible at night. For this, and many other reasons night driving in winter is dangerous and should be avoided if possible.

If you are driving in the early morning, day, or dawn, you may notice the sheen from the distance. It does stand out compared to the matte surface of the road. The patches of black ice are usually no wider than 20 feet, so you will see the difference in the right light.

For this reason, it is important to watch the road carefully without distractions while driving in winter. Combined with the understanding of where to be on alert for black ice, this safe practice can save many lives.  

Sometimes the black ice can be covered by a fresh coat of snow, then spotting it is virtually impossible. That is why once you see snow cover on the road, it should be treated as a possibility of ice underneath. 

Watching other cars and trucks on the road may also help spot black ice patches. Skidding and sliding cars are an immediate sign of potential danger. The unfortunate consequence of black ice patches are car pileups and multi-vehicle crashes right after the patch when a few cars lose control completely. 

When it comes to that it is too late to do anything about it. The immediate reaction to hit the breaks makes the situation much worse as the truck loses traction.

As you travel from state to state, from province to province, you will notice that there are specific areas that are much tougher to navigate in winter. If they are on your usual route, take note of them. If it is a new route being extra cautious is a good strategy for winter driving. 

What to do if you hit the black ice patch?

Even experienced drivers can miss the signs of black ice and end up driving right on it at full speed. This is when driving speed and keeping a safe distance from other cars in winter is crucial.  

As the tires hit the black ice patch, the wheels lose traction. Any unevenness on the road or even strong wind might steer the truck in the wrong direction. Trucks have an advantage over cars as they are much heavier, allowing for better traction.

At this moment it is important to remember not to hit the breaks. The general idea is to keep moving in the original direction while reducing speed without the breaks. Any abrupt movements can spin the truck out of control. Steering in the direction of movement is the safest possible course of action.

Black ice usually comes in patches, so you should be aware that the patch will end soon. Without any abrupt movements, you can also look for the parts of the road with better traction – such as areas with sand closer to the curb-side. 

It is also important to be aware of other cars movement. Do they keep moving in the same direction, are there any disabled cares at the front, is there a pileup?

Be well prepared for winter driving 

While you can not avoid difficult driving road conditions in winter, you can do a lot to be better prepared.  

• Make sure the truck is ready for winter, and maintenance is up to date
• Avoid driving at night when possible
• Do not skip rest stops
• Keep windshield clean and free from snow and ice
• Maintain proper tire pressure
• Take note of dangerous parts of the road
• Pay attention to weather updates
• Remember that drivers are more prone to fatigue in winter 
• Pay more attention when crossing into different climate zone
• Be extra careful driving on bridges and tunnels
• Do not speed
• Be extra careful traveling on the new route
• Keep safe distance

Although a lot of these rules should be followed throughout the year, in winter they become even more crucial for everyone’s safety. These “dry” and formal regulations are based on statistics of road accidents. 

With safety in mind, we are wishing everyone a great and productive winter season.