List 2 good characteristics and the minimum thickness of open water ice you would look for before venturing?

Question

onto the ice

Answer 1

4" of new clear ice is the minimum thickness for travel on foot
5" is minimum for snowmobiles and ATVs
8"- 12" for cars or small trucks

- Contact a local resort or bait shop for information about known thin ice areas.
- Wear a life jacket. Life vests or float coats provide excellent flotation and protection from hypothermia (loss of body temperature). Never wear a life jacket if you are traveling in an enclosed vehicle, however. It could hamper escape in case of a breakthrough.
- Carry a pair of homemade ice picks or even a pair of screwdrivers tied together with a few yards of strong cord that can be used to pull yourself up and onto the ice if you do fall in. Be sure they have wooden handles so if you drop them in the struggle to get out of the water, they won’t go straight to the bottom!
- Avoid driving on the ice whenever possible. Traveling in a vehicle, especially early or late in the season is simply "an accident waiting to happen." In the 117 ice fatalities occurring in Minnesota since 1976, 68 percent involved a vehicle.
- Be prepared to bail out in a hurry if you find it necessary to use a car, unbuckle your seatbelt and have a plan of action if you do breakthrough. Some safety experts recommend driving with the window rolled down and the doors ajar for an easy escape. Move your car frequently. Parking in one place for a long period weakens ice. Don’t park near cracks, and watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves.
- Don’t drive across ice at night or when it is snowing. Reduced visibility increases your chances for driving into an open or weak ice area.
- Check at the access if there are signs that indicate an aeration system is in operation on the lake. Aerators keep areas of water open to provide oxygen for fish. The ice can be weakened many yards beyond where the ice is actually open. Stay well outside the fenced areas indicated by diamond shaped thin ice signs.
- Above all, avoid alcoholic beverages. Beer and booze increases your chances for hypothermia and increases the likelihood that you’ll make a stupid mistake that will cost you or a companion their life.

Answer 2

Usually your local news station will let you know when ice
fishing or riding is safe. If you see any dimple pools, cracks,
or openings - stay away. Keep far away from ice around
floating, or partially submerged logs, trees, or foilage - the ice is not as strong.