Black Ice

[Bert]

When was the term "black ice" first used? During my childhood in the Uk in the 50s and 60s, I don't recall ever hearing of black ice. Now it seems to be the only sort of ice there is on the roads. I firmly believe it is a term invented by stupid people who drive too fast on icy roads. My question is quite serious, but, if you can, can somebody say when the term really became popular - just in case it was first used in the 1930s.

[Milvus]

I'm not sure when it started but it is different to normal ice, in that it is completely transparent, it doesn't reflect or show up white like normal ice. It therefore looks just like the normal road surface and gives no visible warning. It can form when the air temperature is above freezing. I've come across it a couple of times one of which had me sliding sideways on a straight road at 40mph. There was no other ice on miles of this country road.

[Quizmonster]

The earliest recorded use of the phrase, 'black ice', dates back to 1829, but that referred to ice in general. However, in the sense of ice on roads, here is the earliest from The Guardian on December 28th 1961..."Roads in many places were covered in black ice which was hard to detect at night." So, it was certainly about in the early sixties.

[Quizmonster]

I meant to add above that it does not REALLY appear to have been invented by stupid people!

[alfiesgirl]

I always assumed that the term "black ice" came about as it was so dangerous and caused a lot of severe accidents which resulted in deaths hence the term "black ice".

[tamborine]

Ice on tarmac road is black ice. Previous roads were dirt or cobbled.

[Quizmonster]

You get some wonderful ideas, Alfiesgirl, don't you? I'm sure, however, that 'black' in this case is merely a statement of physical fact and not a reference to black as a symbolic colour for death. A road covered in black ice looks no different from a wet road, so you are unaware the ice is there until your car-wheels start doing naughty things! In other words, the ice is said to be black simply because you can't see it, as compared with the more normal 'white' ice which you can.

[Bert]

Thanks, all. I know what "black ice" is, or is supposed to be - ice that's invisible on the road. I just wanted to know when the term was first used in connection with road accidents. I still think it's just an excuse. Look: it's really, really cold, it's been raining or snowing; all the weather forecasts have said there's going to be a ground frost; and some idiot will drive into a tree or another car and say,"I couldn't stop - there must have been black ice on the road."