Blocks of ice falling from cars in McHenry could cause accidents or damage

We’ve all seen those blocks of snow falling from behind the rear tires of a car when the snow rolls into McHenry. Fortunately, they’re just packed snow that will disintegrate under your vehicle’s tires as you simply drive right through them, right?

Don’t count on it.

Those blocks of snow are often packed so tight, condensed by the thaw-and-freeze cycle, that they’re anything but oversized snowballs. They’re often more like boulders. 

Hit one of those blocks and the collision between the block and one of your tires could send you careening off the road or into oncoming traffic.

In some cases, they’re so solid you could pound them with a sledgehammer with little effect. They truly can represent a serious road hazard.

The problem is that it’s difficult to tell how solidly they’re packed when you see them on the road, left their unwittingly by another driver. Either way, your best bet is to try to avoid them. But you want to be careful dodging blocks of ice in the road, too.

You need to be aware of traffic around you, and trafficking coming your way on the left side of the road. Suddenly cutting the steering wheel one way or the other could cause just the kind of situation you’re trying to avoid.

In either case, awareness gives you the best chance to avoid dangerous situations. If you see the block well in advance, you have more time to react, and to check the traffic around you. 

On the other hand, if a block of ice falls from the rear quarter panel of another car and you don’t have much time to react, your chances are improved if you’re aware of the traffic around you. If you’re driving down Route 120 in McHenry, and you see a block of ice in the road, will you know how to react in an instant?

But that block of ice can do more than cause accidents; it can also damage you, tires, wheels, suspension and steering components.

Think about it: running over a boulder the size of a bowling ball is liable to be a problem. But objects in the road don’t have to be that big to cause damage to your vehicle. 

Wherever you’re driving, in McHenry or beyond, pay attention to the road and what’s going on around you. But, if you did hit a block of ice in the road, you probably want to have your car checked out. Parts could be damaged. At the very least, your car could be knocked out of alignment.