Fleet Safety Tip of the Week

This week's advice, culled from a recent newsletter from Idaho Commercial Vehicle Services, addresses how to recognize black ice. You may want to pass this tip along to your fleet drivers as a friendly reminder, now that summer is over and temperatures are dropping. 

Black ice is a thin layer of transparent ice that forms when the temperature is close to freezing. Black ice often makes the road surface look slightly wet like a water puddle, making it dangerously deceptive. Shaded spots, bridges, overpasses and intersections are areas where ice is likely to form first or be the most slippery. Hazardous icy road conditions can sneak up on you, so when the temperature gets close to freezing (below 40°F) watch out for these clues:

• Ice builds up on your outside mirror arms or backs, antenna, or the top corners of your windshield.
• Water spray from tires of vehicles in front of you suddenly stops, indicating an ice patch.
• Roadside trees and signs have a frosting of ice even though the road surface only looks wet.