Watch out for Ice Snipers

If you are looking for a laugh today, head on over to your favorite online video watching website and search for funny sniper compilations. Cutting a dramatic shooting scene with clips of somebody falling over is pretty funny! Finish reading my article first, this could help you or your employees avoid a car accident.

So, what is an ice sniper? It is a localized area of ice and/or water on an otherwise dry road. This photo is a great example of an ice sniper that I encounter daily on my drive to work. You may recognize this ice sniper who hides behind a gradual knoll and curve near the entrance to the Thunderbird Lodge on Highway 28 in Nevada. Ice snipers are created when conditions allow water to flow onto or across the road and then freeze on the roadway.

This isn’t the only ice sniper out there and anyone who commutes in and around the Lake Tahoe basin can identify at least one ice sniper. You might consider this black ice, I think ice sniper is a much cooler term…

I have not personally been in a car accident because of an ice sniper but these accidents occur on a regular basis. As much as I would love to blame the ice sniper, it is ultimately the driver’s fault for loosing control of their car. So what can we all do to combat ice snipers? Take a look in the mirror because it is your responsibility to be aware of the road conditions and drive appropriately. Here are some tips you can employ today!

1. Keep an eye out for the ice snipers by looking ahead. Unless you have snowbank x-ray capabilities, it’s hard to see the ice sniper before it’s too late. Expect the unexpected as you go around corners and over hills.
2. You can keep track of ice snipers mentally. They tend occur in the same spots all winter long. Reduce your speed when you are in ice sniper territory.
3. Reduce speed even when the road is dry. Ice snipers come out of nowhere and you may be traveling too fast to control the vehicle on ice.
4. Be critical of your driving habits and see if you can make an improvement. Maybe you take corners quickly because you drive a sporty car or have upgraded suspension, neither of which will help when you encounter an ice sniper at 50mph in a corner.