Originally Posted by
cyccommute
No. It the name a thin sheet of ice on a surface that is perfectly visible. The road looks “black” because the light is reflecting off the ice and the pavement is black. If the road is concrete, do you call it “gray ice”?
Sigh! No, I don't. I just use the word because that is what is used by English-speaking people, and most people drive or ride their vehicle on asphalt. I'm not a native English-speaker, I use the language as it is used by people. Not all words and terms accurately describes reality.
If the road is wet, shiny and the temperature is below freeing, anyone in any vehicle should expect ice and for the friction between the tires and the road to be much less. “Black ice” is used an excuse for driving too fast for the conditions.
Well, the opposite of "black ice" would be "white ice" = ice that is very visibly ice.
I have crashed on a bicycle on ice many, many times. I have never said that I shouldn’t have known that the road was icy. I knew what I was doing each and every time I crashed and why I crashed.
Most of my crashes have been my own fault as well. That doesn't mean I shouldn't use the terms "loose gravel", "black ice", or "wet leaves".
I even spun a 35’ delivery truck bed once on ice. As soon as the truck started to spin, I knew that it was my fault and I was going too fast for the conditions. You really have a lot of time to think about stuff when you are spinning on that long an arm.
Okay.