The Onspot Blog

Whether driving a small go-kart or a heavy hauler, you must have traction to move forward. Actually, you can’t even walk without it. Traction is a commonly used word and many believe it’s just another word for friction. But is it really? Let’s have a closer look at friction and traction – what it is and why it’s so fundamental to safe driving.

We all know the feeling when tyres lose grip and the vehicle starts skidding. Controlled skidding in a go-kart could be fun, but a heavy vehicle unexpectedly skidding on a road could cause a very dangerous situation. The skidding is due to the vehicle losing road grip and obviously, this has to do with tyres and road surface.

Black ice on the road is rightly considered very dangerous when driving. Still, many drivers are not watchful enough in weather conditions where there is the risk of black ice. But, what is this black ice – and what should I know about it?

No, it’s not black

Typically, black ice is invisible. It’s a thin coating of glaze ice on the road surface. Since it’s thin and transparent, the black road surface is clearly seen through it, and that is why it’s called black ice.

But, it’s dangerous

The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow, or sleet surrounding black ice means that areas of the ice are often practically invisible to drivers. Accordingly, the driver is not prepared for the slippery road area, and there is a risk of unexpected loss of traction. This in turn may result in a subsequent accident.

Black ice sometimes forms from super-cooled rain which freezes into ice and constitutes a particular risk to winter traffic because it is extremely slippery and hard to spot. The temperature may be above freezing but the road surface may still be slippery.

The road surface can be well below freezing temperature – while the vehicle thermometer suggests it is not freezing.

This is how you discover black ice

Early November, just a few degrees below the freezing point. Strong wind and the first snow has been fallen since the night and it has started piling up. It´s time to go to work and start your scheduled route throughout the city.

These first days with ice, snow and slippery conditions are always interesting. Everyone seems surprised about the rough conditions and you have to be prepared and drive more intelligent. Watch out for the extra slippery junctions and roundabouts where the thin layer of ice is polished by other vehicles to an even more slippery surface. Be sure to have enough space in front of you to be able to stop before hitting someone or something.

As soon as your day starts, habits are put in place and follow each other. From the alarm clock that rings in the morning, the daily work missions, to the evening trip back home.
Are others habits / routines present in your work day? Let's look more closely at the advantage and the inconvenience of these habits.

Get a grip – one way or another

Yes, you need traction when driving. Losing traction and getting stuck could cause stressful delays, possibly with serious consequences. Find out what different methods there are to increase traction below.

Drivers ruling under the laws of nature

We live in the era of automation. Have you ever thought of all these things that used to need a lot of human involvement, but today are seemingly automatic? Buying things for example. We have access to a global supply of products and services that are just a few clicks away, and we get our deliveries with very little human involvement. It’s different systems that communicate and automate that provide this convenience.

Also today’s vehicles are stuffed with systems to make usage safer and more convenient. Actually, automation technology develops at such a pace that self-driving vehicles are no longer a futuristic dream. They are here soon…

When the going gets tough and harsh winter conditions strike, the interaction between the driver and the vehicle is put to the test. In such conditions, good driving performance is not to just rely on the vehicle or driving assistance tools. Rather, it’s about instantly adapting your mindset and behavior in order to do the job effectively – in the safest way possible. Here you will get some good tips on how to deal with icy roads!

When purchasing a new vehicle, 4x4 is an option to consider. No wonder, it’s a familiar and well-tried solution with good features for safer driving – but it’s easy to ignore its weaknesses believing there’s no better alternative. However, when reflecting on those situations where traction is really crucial for your operations, you may conclude that 4x4 is not the perfect solution, but rather a compromise.

It comes every year, but it surprises us every time and often poses severe problems – of course we are talking about the winter. Everyone involved in the transportation industry knows that a lack of road maintenance and poorly equipped trucks can cause major problems and increased costs. We cannot influence the weather but we can adapt our business to the weather and to the slippery conditions.

Download the tips for efficient driving in winter weather conditions below!

Why the school bus driver is my hero

Even though I’m not a school bus driver by profession, I can clearly imagine what it’s like. That’s because I know what it’s like to be a professional truck driver. To me, truck driving could be very stimulating with a good sense of freedom, being there on my own in the cab. But I also know it could be stressful when there is an impatient receiver of the goods I carry, and something goes wrong…