Slippery Surfaces. It will take longer to stop and it will be harder
to turn without skidding when the road is slippery. You must drive
slower to be able to stop in the same distance as on a dry road.
Wet roads can double stopping distance. Reduce speed by about one
third (e.g., slow from 55 to about 35 mph) on a wet road. On packed
snow, reduce speed by a half, or more. If the surface is icy, reduce
speed to a crawl and stop driving as soon as you can safely do so.
Identifying Slippery Surfaces. Sometimes it’s hard to know if the
road is slippery. Here are some signs of slippery roads:
• Shaded areas. Shady parts of the road will remain icy and slippery
long after open areas have melted.
• Bridges. When the temperature drops, bridges will freeze before
the road will. Be especially careful when the temperature is close
to 32 degrees F.
• Melting ice. Slight melting will make ice wet. Wet ice is much
more slippery than ice that is not wet.
• Black ice. Black ice is a thin layer that
is clear enough that you can see the road underneath it.
It makes the road look wet. Any time the temperature is below freezing
and the road looks wet, watch out for black ice
• Vehicle icing. An easy way to check for ice is to open the window
and feel the front of the mirror, mirror support, or antenna. If
there’s ice on these, the road surface is probably starting to ice
up.
• Just after rain begins. Right after it starts to rain, the water
mixes with oil left on the road by vehicles. This makes the road
very slippery. If the rain continues, it will wash the oil away
Hydroplaning.
Speed and Curves
Speed and Distance Ahead
Speed and Traffic Flow
Speed on Downgrades
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