Black ice threat to speeding drivers
Tuesday November 27 2007
During the recent cold snap, I was doing a lot of driving around back roads in rural Ireland.
One evening at dusk, the outside temperature display read minus-three celsius. I decided to stick to 60kph on the straight parts and 50 on bends on the b-roads I was travelling.
While a few people were obviously of the same mind, I was amazed at how many over-takers there were people easily doing 100kph.
It eventually dawned on me that many had probably never experienced black ice.
I encountered it one night coming out of a small village near Tipperary town. I was not going fast, but on a sharp bend it was simply like the steering wheel had detached from the steering mechanism.
Luckily, I stopped about six inches from a solid stone wall. The road looked completely normal. With so much emphasis on safety, I'm surprised that it's discussed so little.
On hitting invisible ice at speed, no amount of ABS or airbags or anything else is going to save the driver, only luck.
ANTHONY HALPIN
HERBERT ROAD, BRAY, CO WICKLOW
