Final answer:
Roads become especially slick during cold winter conditions and when rain mixes with oils on the road surface after a dry period. Usage of salt on roads and winter tires helps to improve traction by increasing friction. A patch of ice can cause a car to lose traction, leading to potential accidents.
Step-by-step explanation:
Roads are likely to be especially slick when there are certain weather conditions, notably when there is a mixture of precipitation and changing temperatures. This can occur when the winter is exceptionally cold, leading to the formation of ice on the road surfaces. Moreover, roads are notoriously slick right after it starts to rain, particularly after a dry spell, as motor oil and other substances on the road surface come to the top and create a slippery layer.
To mitigate these dangerous conditions, public service departments may treat roads with salt to lower the freezing point of water, preventing the formation of ice and enhancing friction. This same principle of increasing friction is why winter tires are recommended over summer tires for icy conditions—they have a tread design and rubber compounds specifically meant to grip onto slick surfaces better.
In instances where a car encounters a patch of ice, the vehicle may experience a loss of traction due to the low coefficient of kinetic friction on the ice, resulting in the car skidding or sliding off the road. It is important to understand these risks and adapt driving behaviour appropriately during colder climates to prevent accidents.