KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Black ice is water left over that freezes, which could be a possible problem on a lot of East Tennessee roads early Friday morning as the temperature drops overnight.
Craig Smith has been teaching people how to drive for 34 years, he's a driving expert. Even as an expert, he said it's imperative to remember the basics during winter weather.
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"There's physics involved in driving. It doesn't care if you believe it or not, it will be enforced," he said.
So what are his top tips for black ice? First thing is to slow down when you head out.
"You normally need three to four seconds of following distance. In a situation like this you'll probably need five to six seconds, maybe more."
During possibly icy mornings, like what we're expecting, reduce your speed by 50%. "You have 50% less traction so you have 50% less speed," he said.
Another tip? Black ice isn't black, it's not white, it's transparent -- making it hard to spot. So always look far ahead.
"If it looks wet it very well could be ice instead of just water," he said.
If you do get on top of it, he said to ease off the gas.
"It's kind of intuitive if your back end starts sliding one way, you have a tendency to start steering in that direction. Look and steer where you want to go."
And always stay calm.
"What you may do in a crash not only affects you. It affects everyone you know and the person you'd run into and everyone they know. It's a chain reaction."
One of the last thing to remember, add extra time to your drive to make sure you're in no rush and can drive safety.
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