The coast guard actually samples the ice and marks lanes. There are islands that people live on up there and when it freezes enough you can drive back to the mainland.

There were lots of people who just did their own thing but yes, that would otherwise be a risk without testing and I’m sure too cautious to be one of them.

Now though I don’t think it gets cold enough where I was at (Lake Erie near the Ohio/Michigan border) to freeze enough in the winters anymore. It’s been a solid 20 years since I knew people who drove on it so I’m not sure it’s still a thing.

NYT actually wrote an article about how the lack of freezing is killing a brisk (pun intended) winter business there and mentions it. I used to have family who lived on the next island north.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/05/us/put-in-bay-ohio-ice.ht...