What is black ice?

• A. Ice on the road is clearly visible
• B. Invisible ice
• C. Snow on the roadway
• D. Wet pavement with glare

Answer: (B)

Black ice is invisible ice that forms a thin, transparent layer on the road, blending with the pavement so it often looks like wet pavement rather than ice. Because it’s hard to see, a driver can assume the surface is merely wet and keep a normal speed, which is exactly what makes it so dangerous—tires can lose traction suddenly when the ice is encountered. It tends to form when the surface temperature is near freezing and moisture freezes on contact, such as from light freezing rain, dew, or fog turning to ice. The other descriptions describe ice that’s visually obvious, snow, or just wet pavement with glare, none of which capture the hidden danger of a smooth, clear glaze that you can’t easily detect.