Local drivers surprised by black ice under light snow
A light rain that froze before being covered by a thin blanket of snow caused numerous problems for Colorado Springs area drivers Thursday.
Several vehicles rolled over, slid off the pavement or crashed before and during morning rush hour.
The Colorado Department of Transportation, the State Patrol and Drive Smart Colorado agreed that two factors in the accidents were drivers who were lulled into a false sense of security by less than an inch of snow, and drivers going too fast for the road conditions.
“It seems like the more snow we get, the slower drivers go,” said CDOT supervisor Kenny Quintana. “But when we get little snow, they drive faster.”
Road and street crews in Colorado Springs and El Paso County, along with CDOT, applied salt and sand where needed.
“But by the time our drivers get back to the same area, the pavement can freeze again,” Quintana said.
Quintana said the weather didn’t cause any more traffic accidents than usual, but a state trooper disagreed.
“Even the roadways I’m used to seeing icy, were icy,” said Trooper J.R. Schmidt. “I had to close a road immediately when I got to work because it was slick.”
Maile Gray of Drive Smart Colorado said drivers can avoid most crashes by slowing down.
“On one stretch of road, you can have a variety of conditions — dry, wet, icy and snow-packed,” she said. “Test it first, especially on hills. Tap your brakes gently.”
Gray said her office regularly gets calls from people asking if winter driving classes are available. Many of those calls, she said, are from people who have recently moved to Colorado.
“There are some places you can get information,” she said. “But really, you as the driver are your own best defense.”
Gray also advised drivers to check the condition of their tires.
