What to do in your car during a winter storm
If you’re stuck in your car during a winter storm, it’s important to follow these steps.
Problem solved, reviewed
With the arrival of winter comes a slippery, invisible and dangerous seasonal hazard: black ice.
Clear black ice actually refers to a thin film of ice that forms on a clear road, turning the road surface from a flat surface into a skating rink.
“That’s why it’s so dangerous,” said Officer Carlos Perez of the California Highway Patrol. “It’s undetectable to the human eye. Many people don’t realize they’re driving on black ice until they turn.”
“It’s so smooth and shiny that you can’t really see it,” he said.
As any patched driver can tell you, it can be dangerous in extreme cases.
“That was so fast.”
Years ago, Jack Whalen was driving on Interstate 81 in upstate New York when he hit a patch of black ice. “It was very cold and it was snowing a little bit, but the roads looked pretty good,” he said.
“I noticed we were in a curve, so I just barely touched the brake pedal to slow down a little bit, and wham! We immediately spun around like crazy, turned around completely, and rolled some more on the freeway. We ended up straddling both lanes and coming to rest.”
As soon as he regained his senses, he drove to the side of the road, where he took a few minutes to catch his breath before continuing on his way.
“By the grace of God, it was late at night and the weather was bad so there was not much traffic and there was no one close behind me,” said the former sociologist.
Karin Hunt-Ellis said the feeling of suddenly switching from tires with traction to tires without traction was terrifying. She vividly remembers an incident decades ago when, as a novice driver at the time, she crashed into invisible ice while descending from the Sierra Nevada mountains.
“The whole family was in the car and they could have killed every last one,” she said.
“We were nearing the top of the hill and everything was fine. As we were about to go over the hill and start descending, the wheels came off the road. It was so fast. One moment everything was fine and the next moment we were sliding sideways at a strange angle,” she said.
The wheels didn’t respond as expected, so she overcorrected.
“So I turned away from the skid again, but by that time we were off and flying. I remember turning the steering wheel a few times trying to straighten it out, but it ended up drifting into the median.”
Although the experience left her shaken, she is thankful they were unharmed and learned a lesson she will never forget.
What is black ice?
Black ice isn’t actually black, it’s transparent. That’s what makes it so dangerous. This is a thin film of ice that forms on seemingly bare pavement when temperatures hover around freezing.
Black ice is different from the white or gray layer of ice that forms when snow or hail packs in and freezes into a slippery layer when roads are plowed or driven over by cars. This type of ice, which is often somewhat clumpy, is visible to drivers and gives them a visual cue that they need to slow down.
As the California Highway Patrol warned after the first major winter freeze of 2024, “We’ve had several spinouts this morning, so here’s a little reminder from your CHP Truckee…slow down!! Remember: Tip-toe past a sleeping bear and drive like your ex just texted you to talk.” 😂 Slow down and drive safely! ”
When does black ice form?
Experts say there are multiple conditions that can cause black ice to form on roads.
One of the most dangerous times is when roads are plowed after it snows.
“The roads look good, but then the temperature drops, usually below freezing overnight or early in the morning, and the moisture that’s left on the roads freezes,” Perez said.
Another danger point is when a clear sky is followed by a snowstorm.
“You get a lot of snow, and then the sun shines for a couple of days, and then the snow melts. But there’s a lot of moisture on the roads, and when the temperature gets below freezing, it turns into ice,” said Ahmed Abohassan, a road safety data analyst in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His thesis was on the dangers of winter driving and pavement friction.
Bridges are especially dangerous because the air currents above and below them keep temperatures cooler than hard-surface roads, creating conditions that are more likely to form black ice. Underpasses are also dangerous. This is because even if other pavements are empty, it may freeze if it is in the shade.
This is why many highways display signs that say “bridges freeze before roads” or “bridges freeze before roads” just before drivers come to a bridge or overpass, giving drivers time to slow down.
How can there be black ice if there is no snow or rain?
It may seem counterintuitive, but black ice can form on roads even when it’s not raining or snowing.
Abohassan said this happens when temperatures get very close to the dew point, the temperature at which the air can no longer hold moisture.
“When temperatures drop below the dew point, excess moisture can condense on the road and become liquid, potentially forming ice,” he said.
Frost and fog can also cause ice formation.
What should I do if I hit black ice?
If you encounter black ice, try not to panic, said Perez of the California Highway Patrol. He works in the Truckee, California area, where cars drive into the Sierra Nevada Mountains on their way to Lake Tahoe and the area’s many ski resorts. His social media posts about danger and the need for caution have earned him a devoted following.
Your best bet is to avoid skidding.
- slow down: The absolute best way to protect yourself is to slow down in dangerous situations.
- turn off cruise control: If you find yourself in a situation where black ice may be present, the first thing to do is turn off cruise control, Perez says. “Never drive with cruise control in ice or snow conditions,” he said.
- Pay attention to car warnings. Most new cars now have temperature warnings to warn you of freezing conditions. Perez says they need to be more careful because they are driving in a dangerous environment. This icon typically lights up when the temperature is around 31 or 32 degrees and often looks like a snowflake icon, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. “It shows that the situation is dangerous,” Perez said. “Please be careful.”
- Please be especially careful at night: Given the right temperature and humidity conditions, ice films can form on roads at any time of the day or night, but nighttime is the most dangerous for drivers because ice is even harder to see than during the day.
If you hit a patch of black ice and start sliding, here’s what to do:
- stop accelerating: “The first thing you have to do is take your foot off the gas. If you press the gas, you might spin out,” Perez said.
- step on the brake lightly: When you start slowing down, start tapping the brakes lightly, he said. Do not slam the vehicle as this may make it even more slippery.
- “Turn to Skid.”: In general driving advice, we often hear people say to “turn into the skid,” which simply means turning the steering wheel in the direction the front of the vehicle is going, so that the wheels match the movement of the vehicle. However, the advice varies slightly depending on the type of car.
- For rear wheel, all wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles: After you take your foot off the gas, steer into the skid to make it easier to correct, Perez said. In other words, turn the handle slowly. – Helps to orient the front of the car in the direction of travel and restore traction on the road.
- For front wheel drive vehicles: Correct the skid by steering the vehicle in the direction you want it to go after you take your foot off the accelerator.
- don’t panic: Keep both hands on the steering wheel and keep your eyes on the road. “Some people panic and close their eyes,” Perez said.
When black ice may be lurking, slow down to stay safe
When driving in cold weather, maintain sufficient distance from other vehicles. If you’re driving 80 mph on bare pavement, your car will need 118 feet to come to a complete stop. 450 feet on compacted snow. But it’s a whopping 655 feet on the ice.
“It’s a long journey,” Abohassan said. “People underestimate it.”
The best course of action when driving when black ice is possible is to slow down and use caution. When people emerge from snow, freezing rain, or fog, they tend to speed up because they can see clearly again. However, they may not be aware of the danger.
“People look at posted speed limits and think, ‘If I drive at the posted speed, I’m safe.’ That’s not true,” Abohassan said. “Road safety officers will tell you to drive according to the conditions. The posted speed limit is the maximum speed, not the minimum speed.”
