How to Drive on Black Ice?
Whenever I talk about tires and their performance, I often mention ideal and non-ideal situations. Naturally, the ideal ones are a hot summer’s day with a nice and toasty tarmac, while the non-ideal ones are all the rest.
For the most part, most people get to experience dry and wet with a bit of wintery situations here and there. Driving in winter with snow tires solves the traction problem, and you think you’re fine, right? Not exactly.
There are areas where the winters are harsher, and they are the definition of the least ideal driving conditions. Snow is often not a massive issue because the tires do their job, and you get excellent performance. This leaves ice, which is what I’ll be talking about in this guide.
Specifically, I’ll talk about black ice and explain how to drive safely in those conditions.
What is Black Ice?
Some may read the title and think that black ice is a villain from a comic book, but that’s not it. Black ice is regular ice, and the name comes from how the ice looks. When water freezes, it forms ice, which usually has a white-ish color. This is due to the air bubbles trapped inside, and as the water freezes, it gets the color.
The reason black ice is called that is because it’s transparent. For home use, you’d probably call this clear ice, but on the road, it’s called black because it blends with the road. It’s transparent, so it looks like the road until you start to drive over it.
This is what makes it problematic. If it’s regular ice, you’ll notice it and react before you reach it, but with black ice, you’ll notice it when it’s too late. This is why it’s important to know how to drive over it.
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Driving on Black Ice
I will start this guide with the best tip – don’t. The problem with black ice is that you won’t see it in time, which is why it’s best to avoid areas where it’s a common occurrence or see if the local authorities have some information about the conditions of the road.
For the sake of this guide, let’s say that none of the above applies to your situation, and you have to drive through a certain region where black is a common sight. What do you do, and how do you drive through it?
Don’t Panic
The first step is to remain calm whenever you encounter black ice. Remaining calm will help you think, assess, and overcome the situation quickly. When I say don’t panic, I mean remain calm and don’t do sudden movements or inputs. Black ice patches aren’t too long, usually around 20-30 feet, depending on the situation, meaning the crisis will be over soon as long as you’re not in panic mode.
Ease off the gas
In these kinds of situations, it’s important to slow your vehicle enough to get some traction. I’m talking about ice, so the speed should be quite slower. The best way to do this is to ease off the accelerator pedal. You’ll generally do this to slam on the brakes, but I’ll discuss that in the following section. In some ways, it’s similar to hydroplaning. The tires don’t have enough traction, so you’ll need to bring them in a situation where they can bite down and give you back control.
The most important thing to note is that you don’t want to let go of the gas instantly, especially if you drive a front wheel drive car. In that situation, thanks to engine braking, you’ll move the balance on the front tires, which is good for traction. On the other hand, the rear gets lighter and will start to slide, especially if you’re in a corner.
Don’t hit the brakes.
The first instinct in this situation would be to slam on the brakes, which you should do. It’s normal to want to start braking to slow down the vehicle, but it will work against you. Doing this will cause the car to slip, and if you have ABS, it will intervene. People will say it’s a good thing, but you’ll lose even that little control you have.
Under normal circumstances, the ABS will help you avoid tire lockup and will stop your vehicle in the shortest possible distance. On black ice, it can be unpredictable and “turn” your vehicle in any direction. Modern vehicles are doing a better job of predicting the conditions and keeping control, but it can be problematic in some situations.
Shift into a lower gear.
I mentioned engine braking, but let me explain how it can help. Depending on the situation, dropping down a gear or two will help you safely reduce the speed. The engine will gradually slow your vehicle down to a point where the tires may find traction.
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This is easier on a manual car, but autos have a similar option, depending on your model.
Hold the steering wheel firmly
The front tires will have no traction, and you’d think you could let go of the steering wheel, but that’s not a good idea. You may need to add some input, meaning that you’ll need to have full control. Also, if the front wheels are at an angle, you’ll want to hold the steering wheel firmly to ensure that you’ll remain in control once they find traction.
When it comes to wheel inputs, it depends on the situation. If you’re driving straight and come across a patch of black ice, keep the wheel straight. The vehicle will slide over it, and you’ll regain traction in a few seconds.
On the other hand, things can get a bit tricky around a corner. You may start to lose the back end, practically doing an uncontrollable drift. In these situations, you should turn the steering wheel in the same direction as the back end. This should prevent your vehicle from spinning out.
Even though I mentioned you shouldn’t brake, in this case, I’ll say that a bit of brake pressure may help. Regardless if you have a vehicle with or without ABS, make sure you’re not braking too hard to the point where the wheels will start to lock up. Just a gentle pressure to help slow the car enough so that you regain control.
Aim for traction areas
Let’s say you’re in a situation where the black ice is a bit longer than expected. You wouldn’t want to be riding in a sled, so the best thing is to aim your vehicle at areas where there’s traction. Maybe there is a bit of snow on the side of the road, or you see a patch without any ice. Try to aim for those so that your tires can regain traction.
It sounds easy when you read it like this, but it takes a bit of work. Your vehicle may be headed in one direction, but you’ll want to send it in another. Just make sure you’re not making any sudden inputs and slowly position your vehicle towards the area you want it to go.
![](https://tirehungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/close-up-woman-driving-winter-season-1024x683.jpg)
Once you manage to get there, you can either stop, if it’s safe, or at least use that area to slow your vehicle even more. Reaching a certain speed means that you may even have some usable traction and drive over the ice.
In a worst-case scenario, you may end up in a situation where a crash isn’t avoidable. With that in mind, you can at least try to minimize the damage and keep you and everyone else in the vehicle safe. To do this, I’d recommend aiming your vehicle towards an “open” area. A pile of snow, or a flat field next to the road, anything that can help you get out of the icy situation safely.
Tips for encountering black ice
Getting up close and personal with black ice can be scary, so it’s a good idea to take a few precautions to ensure you pass safely.
The first one is to be cautious when driving in areas where the chances of an encounter are higher. You should always be cautious when driving, but in this situation, be extra cautious. It’s a good idea to adjust your speed to ensure that you can slow your vehicle down faster.
Follow the road ahead. Even though black ice is usually “invisible,” you may see it in certain conditions. Noticing it beforehand gives you time to react and slow the vehicle enough to pass over safely and without losing control.
It’s also a good idea to keep your distance from the vehicle in front. If the vehicle in front loses traction, you’re back far enough to slow down or stop. On the other hand, if you’re too close, both vehicles may lose control, which can lead to a crash.
My final tip is to practice. If you manage to find a wide-open area with some ice on it, take your car and drive over it. This should help you understand how your vehicle reacts to these conditions, and you’ll know how to control it. Test the limits and see what you can do in these situations. It’s essential to do this somewhere safe with no cars or people around.
Conclusion
Anytime you’re driving in less-than-ideal conditions, there are certain situations that you should be aware of. In winter conditions, you have regular ice and black ice. The problem with black ice is that it’s not as visible as the regular one, meaning you won’t always be able to react on time.
If you find yourself in that situation, this guide should help you. There are certain things you should and shouldn’t do, and I have outlined them to help you remain safe in these conditions.