The World and salting roads

[mjoekingz28]

Foreigners and Aliens please chime in.

In the USA we have the midwest and New England that uses quite an amount of salt year after year. I think it is kind of used as needed the rest of the country, but am not too sure. Maybe the Colorado Rockies salts the roads in the winter, or maybe they just shut down the roads. Again, I don't know.


I have also heard tornadoes do not really occur much, if at all, outside of the USA. The South gets a fair share, as does Texas and Oklahoma and the central plains.



Back to it,

Does Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Australia...........any of you, get rusted vehicles from the city, state or some company salting the roads to help tame ice?

 

[Merkava_4]

That's a good question; I don't know if they salt the roads in Europe.

 

[panther427]

As far as Colorado and Wyoming are concerned salt does not get used much by the states or counties. Not in the amount that is used back east. They like to use Sand as a traction aid. They may have some salt in that mix. But it only gets used on intersections and hills. They favor liquid sprays. Such as mag chloride. Other than that is all snow plows

 

[HerrStig]

Magnesium Chloride spray is more corrosive than salt.

 

[sciphi]

IIRC the Northeast and Midwest use salt because they have lots of it fairly easily accessible. It's therefore inexpensive to buy the raw material. It is easily handled, stores easily, and spreads easily. Salt also works fairly well in the winter temperatures that those areas commonly see. So it's a logical material of choice to clear the roads.

The issue is when the snow melts and carries the salt into streams and rivers. There are several streams around me that have very high salinity entirely due to road salt. Folks on low-sodium diets can't safely drink their well water if their well is nearby those streams.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

If I ever become president. I would ban road salt. It justs eats up cars and is a waste of tax payer money. If you want to drive 80mph right after it snow, well I believe in natural selection.

 

[LoneRanger]

They throw so much rock salt down around here when it snows that in intersections it accumulates into piles several inches deep as it gets cast aside by movement of traffic through it. You happen to drive through one of the piles you can hear gobs of the stuff wisking up into the fender wells and richocheting off suspension components. It's patently ridiculous.

 

[Kuato]

Good question, I'll be interested to hear from those in other countries.

Have a friend works for the WV Department of Highways. There's a choice other than salt, they did a study. It does not corrode cars, highway signs, hurt the environment or anything bad that salt does. Problem is, it is 3x the cost of the salt. However their study indicated that if the ecological damage, roadside sign damage, and car damage were added up, it would be FIVE times the cost. I'd gladly pay another $50 a year to register my vehicle if they used the non corrosive stuff; but at this point it's simple state economics....salt costs less UP FRONT - which is all the budget "cares" about.

 

[Ben Boyle]

I note that most of the people in this thread who say there should be no salting of the roads don't lives in locales that really have the weather that warrant it.

Yes, Europe uses salt.
This page shows a car in Germany covered in salt.

 

[Ben Boyle]

http://www.2cvsrus.com/restoration/buyers_guide/rust/reasons_e.htm

 

[Nate1979]

If you got rid of salt and required use of snow tires problem solved.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
If I ever become president. I would ban road salt. It justs eats up cars and is a waste of tax payer money. If you want to drive 80mph right after it snow, well I believe in natural selection.


Stimulating the Auto industry.


I have seen some places trying beet juice as it is more effective than salt in some scenarios.

 

[simple_gifts]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Good question, I'll be interested to hear from those in other countries.

Have a friend works for the WV Department of Highways. There's a choice other than salt, they did a study. It does not corrode cars, highway signs, hurt the environment or anything bad that salt does. Problem is, it is 3x the cost of the salt. However their study indicated that if the ecological damage, roadside sign damage, and car damage were added up, it would be FIVE times the cost. I'd gladly pay another $50 a year to register my vehicle if they used the non corrosive stuff; but at this point it's simple state economics....salt costs less UP FRONT - which is all the budget "cares" about.


The idea of someone from WV mentioning about environmental damage of a product when other more expensive options exist is hilarious.

It would be a job killer in the salt producing states..... just ribbin'.

 

[Panzerman]

Living in Pennsylvania for 35 years. I can tell you road salt is a necessary evil. Yes it rusts your cars out. But it's not as simple as waiting the next day for the snow to melt and believe me when your going down the side of a mountain with cliffs on the side, your not really worried about corrosion issues on your vehicle. I will tell you after living in Florida for 14 years, it's amazing to crawl under your car and still see the production stickers on the underside.

 

[Panzerman]

I won't even mention black ice. That is a entirely different animal all together and salt is your best friend again. You all don't know what your missing up in the Northern States.

 

[BrianF]

As much as I hate the effects of salt, it is more than necessary here. Have a warm winter day and the road gets warm, then the weather changes and the snow blows across the road and freezes. Try driving down a narrow prairie highway which is absolutely slick, a heavy cross wind and meet a semi coming the other way. You will love salt at that moment. As I am sure with most of the northern states, we cannot shut down for every single "snow" day.

Salt sucks but not as much as a collision on the highway.

 

[Donald]

Most people with AWD or FWD have all season, not snows. Not much use of studded tires.

If people bought Snowcats (I have one) there would be little need to plow or salt roads.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: BrianF
Have a warm winter day and the road gets warm, then the weather changes and the snow blows across the road and freezes.

Salt sucks but not as much as a collision on the highway.


Pretty much this. I had snow tires and was literally stranded between two hills this spring because spring rain washed the salt away and there was a freezing fog, yech.

The sand truck had to go up the hill backwards in the dark with his mirrors, pouring sand so he had traction. He passed me about five minutes after I got stranded. Weird.

Twenty years back in upstate NY the power company gave away cinders for road treatment that the DOT spread. Nice and dark, used solar power.

 

[CT8]

Originally Posted By: FordBroncoVWJeta
If I ever become president. I would ban road salt. It justs eats up cars and is a waste of tax payer money. If you want to drive 80mph right after it snow, well I believe in natural selection.
Taxpayer money. Ha taxpayers are idiots,

 

[HM12460]

I am replacing all 4 wheels on my Trailblazer this spring because of corrosion from road salt. The good used one's I am buying are coming from California.