Glazed Frost occurs when the ground is frozen and it rains. The drops of water that hit the ground freeze and form a frozen sheet of ice. Ice rain mixed with water can also lead to black ice. Black ice is one of the most frequent causes of accidents during the winter. People tend to underestimate traffic situations as they do not expect ice to form, even though it is so likely to happen as a result of temperature conditions. That is why the ice warnings issued by the weather service should be taken at face value.

Because weather conditions that lead to glazed frost can be predicted relatively well – ground temperature lower than 0° C and rain - it does not hit drivers  unexpectedly.

It makes more sense to leave the car at home and use public transportation, such as trains, which are not as susceptible to inclement weather. Even road crews have  a hard time keeping the streets clear when icy conditions are dramatic. When accidents have already occurred, it becomes difficult for the crews to do their job.

Frequently they are forced to wait for the accident sites to be cleared so that they can continue on.

Winter tires do not do that much good when roads are icy, because even winter tires do not have a good grip on the road when it is icy. When the driver loses control  of the car and starts slipping, there is usually no way to prevent an accident from happening. The car does not stop until it hits an obstacle, if you are lucky the curb and not another car or a pedestrian.

Winter tires with spikes are not all that suitable to improve driving conditions. These kinds of tires have vulcanized steel or hard metal spikes which protrude out from the surface and which provide the tire with a better grip when the street is icy. The disadvantage is that when the roads are dry, which happens much more frequently
even during winter, their grip is significantly lower compared to normal tires.

Furthermore, they also wear down the pavement much more. That is why they are not allowed all over Germany but only near the Austrian border at certain limited times. Their use is even restricted in Austria and Switzerland where people must come to terms with wintry street conditions all the time.

There are spikes for pedestrians, too, which can be mounted beneath the soles. If you are forced to leave the house despite icy conditions, you can improve your steadiness considerably with them. Moreover, spikes on shoes can be removed more easily so that they do not prove to be an impediment, for instance when walking through a building.