Black Ice Phenomena - Sliding and Slipping


 
 
 
I got a call from my wife when she was driving to her office. It had rained whole night and in the morning temperatures were hovering below zero. She said, “Car is sliding on the road because of black ice.” She tried to stop at the red light but her car kept sliding before coming to halt in the middle of the intersection. Luckily, roads were empty otherwise she could have been involved in something far more dangerous. Nonetheless, she was scared.

When temperatures drop below freezing and roads are wet because of rain or melting of snow, a thin transparent layer of ice is formed on the road is called black ice. And black ice is not black in color. It is transparent and you can see the black tar of the road underneath a thin layer of ice. Hence, it is called as black ice. Because of its transparency and thinness, it is difficult to judge it from a distance.  

I experienced black ice little later when I strapped my running gear for my short morning run on the nearby lake. It was all okay for a kilometer or two. As soon as I reached the lake, downward yet gentle slope at the beginning the track was covered in black ice. It was still dark and sunrise is half an hour away and there's no way I could have judged the black ice before stepping on it.  As soon as I stepped on it, I realized that this is indeed a slippery slope because of black ice. Thus, started my free fall on the slope. It felt like I am going down at speed of more than 50 KM per hour. Suddenly, the slope was not gentle anymore. By the time I was done with my slink, I was at the bottom of the slope lying face down and horizontally to the road. Alas! this invisible thin layer of ice called black ice did cast its fear on me. 
 
 

There are many accidents that happen because of icy roads. And black ice is one of the most dangerous road conditions to drive on. Driving guides suggest that once the car starts slipping, the steering should be straight, brakes should not be pressed and foot should be off the accelerator. In nutshell, once the car starts slipping, the driver is powerless to do anything about it. Perhaps, driver should pray hard.

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