KSP warns of black ice on roads as snow starts to clear up

KENTUCKY (WFIE) - Crews are still hard at work clearing roads from the weekend’s winter storm.

KSP trooper, Cory King, says the first couple days after the storm, people heeded the warnings and stayed off the roads, and slowed down when they went out.

But now, they say they are seeing an uptick in serious accidents related to road conditions, and it might not be from the roads you’d expect.

“Based on our call volume, it’s the roadways that look completely clear, and that’s where that confidence builds up and that complacency and no longer is that in the mind of the operator,” King stated.

Officials say just because the road looks clear, doesn’t mean it is.

They say as the snow pack on the side of the roads melts, the road gets covered in water, which freezes and becomes black ice.

They say because the roads look clear, people get the confidence to go faster, which they say is not the right thing to do.

“I want to be able to negotiate curves, hills, without ever touching my brakes, so if I’m going a speed and I see black ice, I don’t panic, it’s okay,” King stated. “I don’t have to hit a break because I’m not going to slide off the roadway.”

While many accidents closer to the storm were either low-speed or simply cars getting stuck, KSP says these newer accidents often results in more serious injuries, and even flipped vehicles. To cut down on crashes, they have advice for drivers.

“As you venture out tonight, be mindful especially if you are on a curvy road or on a road that has a lot of trees, that’s where you’re going to see a majority of these slide offs, wrecks, or the black ice, and that’s where we want people to be mindful of that. Slow down and allot yourself enough time to get to your destination safely,” King stated.

Officials say they want people to continue to drive slower not just tonight or tomorrow, but the whole week ahead.

With bitter cold in the air, black ice will continue to be a risk for drivers.