Black ice and the stab braking method

[thedavecorp]

The stab braking method didn't work on black ice. Increase following distance and test the road surface now and then.

Also, don't use cruise-control when it's wet - if you slip, the cruise-control will try to speed up and you'll spin out.

 

[hurgoll]

Thanks for the information. Is this from something that happened to you that you want to talk about?

 

[WRNER 0175]

Hello Driver,

Just wanted to go over a few things with ya'll so it doens't catch you by surprise. When you are in an area where you have extreme weather such as one that creates black ice (When water/snow/ice collected on bridges and areas such as these), you have a couple of options you can do. First and foremost, SLOW DOWN!! Secondly, if you can avoid it, do so... When you see weather changes, turn that CB on and listens to them truckers coming out of the storm or avoiding the storm. That will help you change your route and find the quickest route around it.

TheDaveCorp, you stated Stab breaking didn't work on black ice... YUP! Normally when you see black ice it's too late to avoid it... It'll take 10 times the amount of time it normally takes to stop that vehicle when you have conditions such as those. Also remember... If your tractor skids or your trailer skids, the first thing you want to do is stop doing what your are doing thats making it skid in the first place... Let say you go into a braking skid.... The obvious thing to do is let go of the "Brake" and stop looking those wheels so you can quickly countersteer and catch the wheels in time to straighten it out.

You have to also remember that your biggest enemy in bad weather is not the weather itself rather the fast speed you are going. When the weather is like that, you cannot use your cruise control or your jake brakes as you will go into an acceleration skid.

The best advice I have for all of ya'll is "SLOW DOWN". I can't tell you the countless trucks I've seen rolled over on exit ramps because they either didn't slow down BEFORE getting to the exit or because they have unstable or unsecured loads. Also when you are coming down a steep hill, don't kill and overheat/ fade your brakes.... one you reach the top of the hill downshift one gear lower. It helps slow down the truck using the engine and/or exhaust as a braking system. But be careful not to shift gears going downhill because chances are once you cluth into neutral you will not be able to drop it back into any gear and by that time you got yourself a runaway truck. Better hope you have an emergency runaway truck route at the bottom of that hill.

Well I am out of here quicks. Too much talking today. First actual post as a registered member but I have lurked these forums for a while now. Hope I have helped you and alot of newbies out there.

 

[rooster]

Not to step one your toes there WRNER 0175 cause you made very excellent pionts,but I'd also like to add,that if you check your mirrors in those weather conditions and monitor the amount of spray coming off your tires,you can judge when conditions are getting rather hazardous. The colder it gets,the less spray you'll see cause the road surface is freezing.Once these conditions begin to happen you can be sure that everything is turning to ice,so you need to keep on the look out for what looks like thin water puddles but isn't,that's black ice.Other than that follow what WRNER 0175 had to say.