SAFETY SUNDAY: Muflap Ice

Driving conditions in Alaska can be treacherous at any time of the year. Especially with new snow and changing temperatures as Winter slowly turns to Spring, the roads in the Mat-Su Valley can be less than desirable. Driving safely means traveling at low speeds and leaving plenty of room to brake between vehicles. Some opt for studded tires while others make do with what they have. In order to safely traverse make-your-own-lane roads and black ice, drivers need to keep their eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

What can sometimes make for unsafe driving conditions comes up from the road. Slush, snow and ice flying up from the road can get caught on mudflaps, melt, freeze, and re-melt to grow from the frame of your car into your wheel well. The shaking sensation felt even when driving on a dry road is caused by ice pushing on tires. Ice can even make its way onto the axle of a vehicle, making the shaking sensation violent.

The best way to combat mud flap ice and keep our worries of winter driving on the road ahead is to diligently monitor the growth of mudflap ice. Like scraping windows and warming up your car, mudflap ice can provide a driving hazard if not dealt with. However, the strength of the ice can often prove too much for a generic ice scraper to handle. Some utilize a hammer from their vehicles toolbox. I trust the baseball bat in the trunk of my car to provide the heft needed to knock the blocks of ice off of my mudflaps.

Those who park in a garage for the duration of the Winter may only deal with the issue on snowy days. The rest of us are left checking tires before we embark. A trip to the car wash can also rid your vehicle of excess ice hanging on to the wheel well.