5 Myths About Black Ice

Misinterpreting information can often lead to big problems. One of the vivid examples is a set of myths about black ice and the danger it poses. Motorists often become hostages of myths, which are partly created by comfortable cars and high characteristics of both the car as a whole and the tires in particular. It is not uncommon for cases to occur where the driver may slip badly as soon as they get out of the car, because their car is equipped with high-quality winter tires and they are simply not prepared for black ice. But this is the best scenario, since there is a risk of getting a pair of bruises from a fall. There are much more dangerous situations due to the misconceptions of some car owners.

1. Accidents on black ice are associated with excessive recklessness
Although it is true that some accidents on icy roads are the result of drivers not being cautious enough in the face of visually visible danger, the facts speak of another risk group. Ordinary people like you are driving at a normal speed when they suddenly encounter ice and get into an accident. Most serious accidents occur due to the fault of drivers who were not careless in driving, but did not understand in time that they were on an icy section of the road. This is especially true for the so-called "black ice", which is often found in urban conditions.

2. I have enough experience to drive at high speed on the highway in black ice conditions
No one has the skills to drive at normal speed on icy roads. Some believe that they have enough winter driving experience and therefore can continue to drive in the usual mode. But a truly experienced driver knows that to lose control on an icy road, a small accident like a strong gust of wind is enough, and you can completely lose control, which you are unlikely to recover.

3. Four-wheel drive, stability control, ABS provide safe movement on icy roads
The reality is that there is no technology, no tires, or any type of vehicle that would allow safe movement on any type of icy road (snow, slush, or freezing rain) at a speed of over 70 km/h. No vehicle with all the auxiliary means can cope with a skid on an icy road if the speed is too high. If you drove out onto the ice, gradually reduce your speed and choose a safe speed mode.

Winter tires, of course, to some extent improve traction and handling in snowy weather, but they do not allow the car to move safely at normal speed on the highway when the roads are icy. Most fatal accidents occur at high speeds when winter tires do not allow to completely prevent loss of control.

4. Icy roads pose a greater threat in colder climates, where black ice and snow are common.
In fact, truly fatal "metal days" can be observed in the south of Russia, where it is easier to wait out a couple of days in the season and drive on one set of tires all year round. But often it creates the impression that on the days when you need to wait, everyone urgently needs to go somewhere, and no one is ready for this. Hence the mass of videos on the Internet with group accidents involving several dozen cars. The conclusion is extremely simple - in winter, a car should have winter tires, and if the winters are soft enough, there are their own winter tires for European-type winters.

5. The use of road reagents solves the problem of black ice.
Every year, hundreds of tons of reagents are poured onto the roads. Of course, this does not contribute to the healthy lifestyle of city dwellers, but of two evils, the lesser one is chosen, and road safety is more of a priority here. But you should not rely entirely on road services. Often, there may be violations of reagent application and delays in cleaning up the resulting mass after its application. This mass, in turn, can also lead to a significant increase in braking distance. But, of course, road services cannot be everywhere at once, so you need to be prepared for sudden black ice.