Spotting slippery roads — Delaware Permit Test

Delaware's manual warns that on cold, wet days shady spots can be icy, because they freeze first and dry out last.

A road that looks clear in the sun can hide a patch of ice under the trees where the car suddenly slides.

On cold, wet days shady spots can be icy. These areas freeze first and dry out last.

Delaware's manual warns that bridges and overpasses can be icy even when other pavement is not, because bridges can be colder.

A driver who trusts the dry road leading up to a bridge can hit ice on the deck with no warning.

The pavement on bridges can be icy even when other pavement is not. This is because bridges can be colder than other roadways.

Delaware's manual says ice near the freezing point can become wet, which makes it more slippery than ice well below freezing.

A driver who thinks a mild winter day is safer than a bitter one meets the slickest ice of all.

When the temperature is around the freezing point, ice can become wet. This makes conditions more slippery than at temperatures well below freezing.

Delaware's manual warns that when rain starts on a hot day, the pavement can be very slippery for the first few minutes, as heat brings oil in the asphalt to the surface.

A summer shower makes the road slick before it washes clean, so the first minutes of rain are the worst.

Heat causes the oil in the asphalt to come to the surface. The road is more slippery until the oil is washed off.

On a cold, wet day, why should you watch for shady spots on the road?

They freeze first and dry out last. A road that looks clear in the sun can hide a patch of ice under the trees where the car suddenly slides. Delaware Driver Manual, p.123: “On cold, wet days shady spots can be icy. These areas freeze first and dry out last.”