I just wanted to say for the record... I REALLY HATE BLACK ICE!!!

Why?

Here's the story. I'm headed to work one lovely Sunday morning, driving towards the entry to the New Jersey Turnpike. And while it had rained the night before, the roads looked clear and the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon.

Unfortunately, this was the calm before the storm. About 500 feet away from the turnpike entry, I suddenly lost control of my Honda Civic. The car spun twice before it eventually hit the side of the road, knocking off my front bumper, denting my car door and breaking the right headlight. As I came to a stop, I noticed at least 5 other cars that reached the same fate. Luckily, I was able to come out of the crash without a scratch.

Ironically, about 5 minutes after crashing the car, a salt truck drives by, spraying the road with sand and salt.

When the authorities arrived, the first words out of his mouth were, "black ice?" Yep.

Just because you can't see black ice doesn't mean it's not there.

If you've never experienced black ice before let me be the first to warn you that it's not a fun experience. You literally do not see that the road is icy. And when you finally realize what's going on, it's already too late.

So here are a few black ice driving tips that will help you avoid crashing:

• As soon as your car begins to slide on black ice, take your foot off the gas pedal. In fact, the last thing you want to do is give your car more gas. It is very important to slow down when you are driving on black ice or in any other winter road conditions.
• Don't slam the brakes. While it may be a natural instinct to slam on your brakes, this will only cause your car to lose control and slide even more. Tap the brake pedal lightly instead of pushing down hard on it.
• Look for trouble spots ahead. If you have an idea that there may be black ice ahead (if you see cars ahead of you sliding, for example), downshift to a lower gear before you come onto the black ice. The lower gear will force you to drive more slowly and it will give you better control of your car.
• If your car does begin to skid on the ice, turn the wheel in the direction of the skid. This should help to steer your car back on the right track.

By the way, final damage on my car: $4,500. I REALLY hate black ice.