Black ice appearing on Highway 17
UPDATE 10:55AM 12/20/16: Highway 17 throws some curves and sharp turns at drivers heading up and over the hill, but during the winter, law enforcement say there’s another challenge drivers face.
“Black ice is basically a thin sheet of water that accumulates on the road and then freezes. I read there’s a lack of air bubbles, I guess, in that ice which causes it to look exactly like the surface underneath it so you can’t tell the difference between what’s frozen and what’s not,” Santa Cruz County CHP PIO, Trista Drake.
And unlike debris in the road, you can’t just swerve to avoid hitting it.
“It’s really dangerous because you don’t see it. You’re driving along and it looks like it’s just regular roadway in front of you and all the sudden you might hit a patch of black ice which might make your car a little slippery if you hit that patch,” said Drake.
Officers say drivers should be wary of black ice in shaded areas of the road, early mornings when the sun hasn’t had a chance to warm things up, periods of time after rainy conditions, and of course, when it’s just simply cold out.
“A good rule of thumb; if it’s freezing outside, there may be black ice on the roads,” said Drake.
If a driver hits a patch of black ice, don’t panic.
“The best thing to do is do nothing at all. Slowly take your foot off the accelerator, don’t hit your brake pedal, don’t hit your gas pedal. Usually black ice is in a small portion so just letting your foot off the accelerator of the car is going to naturally slow down until you feel your tires grip the roadway again,” said Drake.
CHP says its also important to make sure your tires are properly inflated and have good traction. And of course, don’t speed.
ORGINIAL STORY: California Highway Patrol is asking drivers to slow down on roads, particularly if black ice is present.
Freeze warnings have been issued over the past several day on the Central Coast and officers report seeing black ice along Highway 17 near Sugarloaf Rd. and Mount Hermon Rd.
KION’s Matt Sizemore is taking a look at the danger spots and how drivers can safely navigate through black ice.
