01/05/2022
⚠️ Watch For Black Ice ⚠️
Black ice is difficult to see and makes roads very slippery, especially bridges and overpasses. Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing in some areas overnight creating black ice conditions.
🚗Here are some driving tips courtesy of AAA:
- Black ice commonly forms on highly shaded areas, infrequently traveled roads, bridges, and overpasses. Use extreme caution on bridges and overpasses, which typically freeze first and melt last. Even if the roadway leading up to a bridge appears to be fine, use caution as the bridge itself could be covered in a sheet of ice.
- Never use cruise control during winter driving, especially when there is a strong chance of ice and slippery conditions.
- Avoid unnecessarily changing lanes while driving, which increases your chances of hitting a patch of ice between lanes that could cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
- Drive, turn and brake slowly, adjusting speed to road conditions and leaving ample stopping room (three times more than usual) and watching for brake lights, fishtailing, or sideways cars that could indicate freezing roads, and emergency flashers.
- Vehicle tires struggle to maintain traction on ice. When driving in slippery conditions, avoid braking on ice. If you approach a patch of ice, try to brake in advance and control the skid by easing off the accelerator and steering in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
- If you have antilock brakes, do not pump the pedal; the vibrations and pulsating against your foot when you press down are the system working when your vehicle loses traction.
- For drivers without antilock brakes, use "threshold braking," keeping your heel on the floor and using the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the pedal to the "threshold" of locking your brakes; removing your heel from the floor could cause your brakes to lock.
- Remember, four-wheel drive doesn’t help you stop any faster. Your four-wheel-drive vehicle will still lose traction when driving in icy conditions.
- Keep a winter weather kit in your car, containing an ice scraper, blanket, flashlight with extra batteries, bag of kitty litter, shovel and charged cell phone, as well as reflective triangles or flares, cloth or paper towels and jumper cables. Invest in the right tires.
- Winter tires are your best bet when driving during freezing weather.
What other tips do you have??
✅ Don’t be caught off guard by winter weather! Learn how to prepare your family for winter emergencies by visiting http://ready.nj.gov/plan-prepare/winter.shtml today!
📻 Stay tuned to your local weather. For those living in Central and Southern New Jersey visit US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly http://www.weather.gov/phi/.
For those living in Northern New Jersey and the New York Metro area visit US National Weather Service New York NY http://www.weather.gov/okx/.
📱Stay informed by following us!
Visit ready.nj.gov
Facebook www.facebook.com/ReadyNewJersey
Twitter www.twitter.com/ReadyNJ
Instagram www.instagram.com/ReadyNJ
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/ReadyNJ
State of New Jersey
New Jersey State Police
New Jersey Department of Transportation
NJ 211