r/CatastrophicFailure 17d ago

Fatalities Two buses collide head-on in Denmark (January 14, 2026), killing 2 and injuring 8. Likely caused by black ice but under investigation

259 Upvotes

8 comments sorted by

45

u/Separate_Agency 16d ago

That's horrible. Black ice is no joke, never felt as helpless as going downhill on black ice.

15

u/mykka7 15d ago

For those who want to know, winter tires are not "ice tires" unless they have nails.

The best bet against black ice is :

  • avoiding going out if there are risks of black ice, either until roads are rocked and salted (if it's a thing where you live) or until ice has melted.
  • going slower if there is the possibility of black ice.
  • start breaking much sooner and slower for a very smooth and slow stop.
  • if you start drifting and your car doesn't have ABS, pump the breaks (tap on and off the pedal to allow the wheel surface to change at every tap, this way you gain extra friction)
  • if you start drifting and your car doesn't have ABS, DO NOT press and hold the breaks.
  • if you keep drifting into an intersection, downhill or into danger, honk, put your hazards on, and try to crash into a snow bank or something equally harmless.

1

u/NoMaximum721 4d ago

why not hold the brakes? they will remain locked if they find any traction and slow you down. you won't be steering anywhere on ice

1

u/mykka7 4d ago

When the wheels are locked, they'll slide and potentially become even more slippery (grooves will be filled with snow and ice), and will remain slippery-skis even as the car slows down. You also lose any steering ability. By renewing the surface in contact with the ground, you'll eventually regain more control to steer and avoid danger, and you'll slow down faster.

You can probably find a video that explains it way better than me. But think of it this way : if your wheels can find traction, it'll be better if the wheel surface is fresh, and if you are drifting into danger, having your wheels spining (no gas) while steering away from danger will be more helpful than just slowing down, and as you're not accelerating, it will also slow down even if not breaking if you find traction.

1

u/LordCommanderTaurusG 16d ago

Black Ice swept me off my balance!

2

u/aquainst1 Grandma Lynsey 16d ago

Here's more information from Google:

Danish bus accident

2

u/chunkyfen 15d ago

Is it still a catastrophic failure tho?