Of all of the different weather problems that can result in dangerous roadway conditions, perhaps one of the most frightening is known as black ice.
This type of ice, which is also known as glare or clear ice, can appear to be transparent to motorists and pedestrians alike.
As a result, motorists may not even recognize the amount of danger or how to best react to changing conditions on a road, which can lead to serious collisions with other vehicles and roadside objects.
The issue of transparency with this type of ice occurs because of the lack of particles trapped inside.
Normally, patches of ice are visible due to pellets, dirt, or air bubbles caught inside during the freezing process.
On the other hand, black ice freezes without interference from snow or sleet, meaning that the layer of frozen water is extremely difficult to see against a black or dark background.
This term can also be applied in certain areas that see very little rainfall, where oils and other lubricants from motor vehicles are not washed off the roads regularly.
In these areas, the black liquid can form a considerable slick for cars and motorcycles alike.
However, in terms of ice, black ice poses a particular threat to traffic.
Without the ability to see the slick layer over a road, drivers may not know to slow down or brake less abruptly, causing an extreme lack of traction.
Skidding across the layer of ice on the road, a vehicle may strike another vehicle or an object like a tree or lamp post without the driver being able to stop.
Like any other ice, this form of precipitation can be melted using salt if the temperatures are warm enough for the salt to have effect.
If the temperature dips below the useful level for salt, there are other compounds that can be applied to the roadway such as magnesium chloride.
For more information about a driver's legal rights if they are caught in an accident because of black ice, contact a car accident attorney.