3 Weird, Real Ways We Could Fix Icy Roads

[@plainlogic]

* 3 ways we're not going to replace salt on roads

[@KuK137]

This, the clickbait title was terrible :/

[@micahphilson]

3 ways we *are* replacing salt on roads, though it may not be significantly better in every way.

[@plainlogic]

@@micahphilson yeah, replacing the salt with more, SALT!

[@plainlogic]

@@micahphilson News flash: roadsalt will now be replaced with; beet juice and sAlT, urea and SaLlT, cheesewater and SALT!

[@plainlogic]

@@micahphilson oh, and one he didn't mention is calcium chloride (which is also Salt). It boosts the effectiveness of NaCl more than anything he mentioned.

[@PaulPaulPaulson]

Icey roads, take me home To the place ice belongs West Montana, mountain mama Take me home, icey roads

[@konway17]

Paul Paulson take me to an icy bong

[@socc4298]

*My thought process at this time* 🎵Ice ice baby🎵Nah too unoriginal...hmmm...what would be some good ice lyrics? Aha! 🎵Its gona be an ice cold winter, we should be together, put your feet up on the heater now!🎵 Hmmm better... 🎵LET IT GO! LET IT GO! CAN'T HOLD IT BACK ANYMORE! LET IT GO! LET IT GO! TURN AWAY AND SLAM THE DOOR!!!!!🎵 perfect.

[@gaur637]

Fallout 76 sucks ass. tell me lies, tell me sweet little liles.

[@oneofmanyparadoxfans5447]

@@gaur637 While that cover was unique and done specifically for Fallout 76, the actually song is just a folk song about loving the good old state of West Virginia. Coal mines, coal mines everywhere.

[@Zeytrixx]

_Fix it with flex tape_

[@dmcpartlin17]

Don’t sub to me I SAWED THIS ROAD IN HALF

[@cakefromkorea1507]

Dead meme.

[@NotTheCIA1961]

weird flex but okay

[@rikiorikio9368]

NOW THAT’S A LOT OF DAMAGE

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

Now that's a lot of damage

[@erinjakeman5116]

One of the Scandinavian countries is putting under sidewalk heating that is solar powered. It prevents ppl from slipping and falling and less salt is used because those sidewalks don't need salt and the warm run off helps to remove some of the snow on the roads they run along.

[@audreywinter6910]

In Sweden they use gravel, which they sweep off in spring during the regular road cleaning.

[@melanieh.3091]

Audrey Winter that’s what we use in Alaska

[@L3ft0vers]

"In spring" - I swear it's here until mid summer some places.

[@audreywinter6910]

@@L3ft0vers Yeeeahh... the seasons are a bit dragged out, especially winter. ;)

[@nilepng79]

here in sweden some places use ash. it doesn't melt the ice but gets stuck on it, making tires get a grip anyways

[@celinak5062]

+

[@Cammi_Rosalie]

My family heats with wood. We collect the ashes and use them on our driveway and walkways. it's very effective at giving the surface a bit of grit for traction.

[@user-ig6kk9yi5z]

Isn't ash the main ingredient in making lye? Which would make things much worse..

[@cataclysmicnothing]

@@user-ig6kk9yi5z I couldn't find the chemistry of making lye from potash (everything I found was tl;dr) but I don't think it would be a significant issue. Still, it's something that should be looked into if this is to ever seriously considered. Perhaps some other commenter can provide me the simple chemical equations.

[@Nightraven26]

In Iceland they have so many hot water springs that they run them under the roads to cities and the warmth melts the ice

[@NotTheCIA1961]

As soon as people actually want the cheese brine, companies will start charging for it

[@OrigamiMarie]

Right now they have to pay to dispose of it, because municipal waste water treatment plants can't cope with that much salt in the water. So at this point they literally pay somebody to take it, and having somebody take it for free is fantastic. But yeah, capitalism.

[@HoxTop]

If someone wanted to buy your trash, would you not sell it?

[@someone4650]

Supply and demand

[@PaleGhost69]

And here I thought Exploding Manholes were just a symptom of a nearby Chipotle.

[@justinhiggins1214]

Most underrated comment here 😂

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

Most underrated comment here

[@danielletanguay7272]

Perhaps the sewers need some chipotle away 🤣🤣

[@belindaweber7999]

😂😂😂

[@MrDuncanBelfast]

Are vegans allowed to drive on roads salted with cheese brine?

[@GregGBM7]

hahahaha! nice one

[@carlosmp2043]

No

[@MobiusPeverell]

Since it's a byproduct, I don't think it'd be too much of a problem.

[@JH-fk8ow]

@@MobiusPeverell but that is not the vegan logic... vegan logic is if animals suffered for it it is bad, like they do because of plastics, deforestation for soy fields,cars and plane travel....and....and.... yeah vegans destroy the earth too:D lol i know vegan who has 3x my carbon footprint, car, boat, wears plastic clothes, travels thousands of miles per year in plane yet she still acts houlier than thou because shes a vegan and thinks shes not harming the animals

[@ExzcellionGamma]

@@JH-fk8ow r/woooosh

[@threadbearr8866]

In Mordor, Lord Sauron just glares at the icy paths to clear the way for Uruk-hai ballistas.

[@LordGryllwotth]

A very good way to adapt to the environment is to use winter tires.

[@Spike20101000]

Except, winter tyres are only of use if the weather is consistently cold. Come to England there are times it will be thick with ice and snow, then a week later be +12c. Winters are pretty erratic.

[@Coxy002605]

@@Spike20101000 Winters work fine in the U.K, just know their limits and drive within them. It's not like it reaches +8c and you're sliding off the road.

[@Samzillah]

It helps, but when your whole road is ice, or you have a few inches of snow on the road, you're not going to get any traction.

[@KuK137]

@@Samzillah You're kidding, right? Where you live a few inches of snow is any dangerous? Here, we have a few inches of snow 3 months a year and people drive just fine, without being wussies...

[@eckopoppin]

Sam Girardin experiences driver with good quality winter tires, works wonders.

[@thysenb]

You can contact Schrute Farms for beet juice.

[@amazingajax2343]

Lmaooooo

[@RangerRuby]

Living in a colder state, I know the troubles of icy roads. I also know how annoying salt on roads is so it's nice that we are coming up with more...creative solutions! #PowerofScience

[@massimookissed1023]

#PowerOfTypos

[@LordGryllwotth]

Winter tires I guess?

[@windhelmguard5295]

the best way to deal with icy roads is to plow away the upper layers of snow, compress the lower layers of snow and then follow that up with stone chipings. puting chains on the tires is also a good idea. all salt does is turn one thing you don't have traction on, into another thing you don't have traction on. also no winter tieres don't work on snow and ice either, they are designed to remain soft at lower temperatures, so they work properly at temperatures below 7°C, however on snow and ice they are not much better than summer tires.

[@TheMrANONYMOOSE]

@@windhelmguard5295 what are you talking about, sure the rubber compound might not be more effective on ice or snow but the physical design is. Snow tires have large grooves in them that pick up and hold on to snow, snow on snow traction is much better than rubber alone, if you add studs into the mix then you have a good way to get a reasonable amount of traction on both snow and ice.

[@windhelmguard5295]

@@TheMrANONYMOOSE those large grooves are not to gain traction on snow, they are there to displace water and that brown mud you get when you put salt on snow, summer tires have those too for the same reason. also to get reasonable ammount of traction on ice you'd need something that'll physically hook into it, even studs won't do because tire rubber isn't hard enough, in fac tstuds actually reduce traction on hard surfaces such as ice.

[@just-a-silly-goofy-guy]

Just tell the ice to go away lmao

[@memmeos]

Oh ok

[@Cristhian_Perez]

We don't bully ice around these parts

[@klein2137]

Ice is mad sensitive. Just roast it and it will leave

[@Aaroncy]

Kremit!!!

[@DogWick]

Lmao this H20 boi is even less dense in solid form *ice melts*

[@singerguitarnerd]

Salt corrosion on my grandma's old Honda nearly killed me. The brake lines failed right before I got on the highway.

[@josephc3185]

Mary Patrucco dam u got lucky

[@malachi3438]

Preventative maintenance

[@grmasdfII]

Well, maybe something like the German TÜV would be a good idea.

[@waterunderthebridge7950]

Icy roads, take me home, To the place I belong, Streets with beets, sticky molasses, Why does it~ smell like cheese?

[@kme]

So that's why the car washes here have under-car jets. I'd wondered... (to wash off the road salt and sand...) I don't have a car anymore and they use more sand than salt in this area, but yeah... Good to know.

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

One sure fire method is to do what some other countries do: Mandate requirements to install winter tires on vehicles once the temps drop to 40F. Winter tires easily handle ice and packed snow left behind by the plows. They reduce accidents, deaths, injuries, traffic jams, and insurance costs, as well as reduce loss of productivity since more people are able to safely get to work. I install winter tires every November, and it’s frustrating having to deal with the morons on the road who don’t, as well as all of the corrosive salts on the roads to compensate for them.

[@JeremyPezmanTaylor]

In Flagstaff we use local volcanic cinders to help deice and add traction to the road

[@Target83916]

Which is something I am very happy about because salt is not gentle on poor old Jurassic Park Jeeps.

[@SpicyButterflyWings]

So... instead of using salt, other people are... still using salt? But with a few special guests like sugar. If only it was more acceptable to just not go anywhere if it's too icy and dangerous to drive.

[@celinak5062]

+

[@3possumsinatrenchcoat]

capitalism! *shakes fist*

[@rydaddy2867]

@@perpetualmori Exactly; it would be " too icy and dangerous to drive" in Wisconsin from ~Dec 1 to Feb 28th every year.

[@jessica87au]

I lived in Japan in an area that snowed around 12-15 metres a year and they just don't salt the roads at all. It was fine. No chains either. Just winter tires and being careful, with some gravel and sand at places where pedestrians cross the road.

[@MrPaukann]

@@jessica87au, even the best winter tires have stopping distance of 7 meters at 20 kmph with abs on. And most tyres have a stopping distance of 8+ meters. It's not a good solution for settlements.

[@feynman9959]

Just make them salty by roasting them.

[@feynman9959]

@@AxxLAfriku Ok AxxL

[@carlosmp2043]

@@AxxLAfriku are you...okay?

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

Elon musk flamethrower them

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

@@AxxLAfriku uhh, what is this?

[@feynman9959]

@@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS Not a Flamethrower

[@Matticitt]

Spreading salt on roads sounds like a great idea, just like adding lead to fuel did. Unfortunately, when you spend 5 minutes thinking about it, both are pretty terrible ideas in fact.

[@IamVerilance]

I suppose it doesnt get cold enough but in Canada Calcium Chloride is used in some places

[@TimmyJoePCTech]

"Rinsing" the salt off a car is what causes rot, it's better to leave over the winter rather than rinse it every time you have the chance.

[@stevesmith9447]

Frozen water (hard to drink) Slippery surfaces Blinding snowstorms Dark more than light Crops don't grow No prey to hunt Temperatures that will kill a healthy adult in hours When the earth screams at us to stay home, I'm not sure the roads are the problem.

[@maxymilien84]

Just thought of the best idea ever: town zambonies. Just need to ramp up the succion to not leave any water to freeze anew. And bonus, it could play the "Hockey night in Canada" song while working or a game when a Canadian team is playing.

[@davisclark0776]

In Wyoming, we use this Chemical that we spray on the roads and during a storm the snow doesn’t stick to the road. But after a while, the chemical wears off. If we’re out of that chemical, we just spread dirt

[@sarateubert8252]

Like neverwet?

[@davisclark0776]

Sara Teubert It still does get wet unfortunately, but the snow doesn’t stick for a while

[@Varizen87]

The answer is super obvious: Teslas with Boring Company Flamethrowers attached to the bottom. It combines 2 Elon Musk properties into 1 amazing idea.

[@flightgamer7849]

"Hopefully a better SOLUTION..." I see what you did there.

[@maracachucho8701]

Extremely subtle

[@roempoetliar7995]

but very salty

[@HedgehogStudios1]

Don't worry, guys. In a few years we'll just have to turn on the heaters in the SOLAR FREAKIN ROADWAYS /s

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

That was so successful

[@DounutCereal]

There it is, I was looking for this reference. I'm surprised it isn't at the top...

[@SlideRulePirate]

....What are they??

[@YouPlague]

I was looking for this comment

[@MikeDCWeld]

@@DounutCereal I'm just glad it wasn't in the video!

[@mastring1966]

there's always the solar road idea that would heat the roads to keep them free of ice using induction rather than using chemical assistance.

[@Makkushimu]

Finland uses gravel. Just FYI.

[@mwnbeme]

Montana, at least my part of it, uses a combo of salt and gravel in the city.

[@Fopppyable]

Lemme guess, muscle hank, only the weak slip on icy roads

[@merkedmiles4655]

so happy to see michael!!!

[@PierreVB-514]

Thanks You Very Much ! :-D ... this topic is very to the point imo because I live in Montreal Qc Canada and we do have many months of snowy / icy roads and sidewalks. Salt also has the inconvenient of making roads and bridges age faster. Last point that wasn't covered here is heating the ground but I think this is mostly reserved for airports given the cost involved.

[@SaengerDruide02]

Nice and compact. Good informative video !

[@lj0339]

Where I live, it’s snowy and cold over 6 months out of the year and we just use sand trucks to help. It gets cleaned up fine during warmer months when we use street sweepers and doesn’t seem to cause any other problems

[@michelleglass762]

Omg the way he says "cheese". Too cute, can't handle it! 😊

[@Belboz99]

Sand actually does aid in melting ice. It lowers the albedo of the surface, meaning more sunlight is converted into heat. This actually helps more in temperatures below the freezing point of brine, as the primary means by which ice is removed blow that temperature is sublimation, where ice is converted directly from solid to vapor. Sublimation consumes a lot more energy though. It takes more energy to convert solid ice into liquid water than raising the temperature alone, and sublimation requires nearly 2x as much energy. With a very high albedo snowpack ice (not so much blackice) is very slow to sublimate. Sand lowers that albedo and speeds along the sublimation.

[@velihemming8560]

In Finland they are testing sawdust in biking lanes etc. When water melts the light sawdust flakes rise to the top and when it freezes these flakes give better traction.

[@Sikorsky66]

Tip from Canada: Good Tires, 4x4 /awd, and a fleet of snow plows, also gravel works alright but then you need a fleet of street cleaners for the summer

[@naomilovenpeace]

In michigan we need to #fixthedamnroads first!

[@TaxPayingContributor]

Replacing Sodium Chloride with Magnesium Chloride has cut down on some corrosion.

[@terileebruyere3482]

As a Canadian living in the Ozarks, I'd be thrilled if someone could invent a way to make southerners drive better in winter....

[@repairdrive]

I HATE the salt they use in Chicagoland. Totally wrecks your car. I miss the rocks they used up in Alaska.

[@Valendr0s]

Every time I'm driving in the snow, I just feel like there's gotta be some way to heat the roads or have a street-sweeper cart kind of thing that melts the snow instead of just pushing it over. It's probably not economically viable, but darn it - I hate driving in snow.

[@Waterdust2000]

Valendr0s - insert patrick star meme about pushing the snow “somewhere else!”

[@albertovicinanza]

Ever tried winter tires? Personally I love driving in the snow with winter tires, with summer tires it's horrifying.

[@Soken50]

until we get portable fusion reactors it's not gonna be worth the hassle, water requires so much energy to change state

[@VocalEdgeTV]

Ahh Michael. My favorite.

[@electronicsNmore]

Montana is a beautiful state, but way too cold for me.

[@3possumsinatrenchcoat]

our van was about three breaths away from the ENGINE LITERALLY FALLING OUT because living in ohio when it was actually terrible winter for six months for 15 years and no garage meant the whole lower 40 percent of it was 95% rust and 5% prayer. the last three months we had to wait when there was a huge trade-in deal we literally drove a rental bc you had to drive it into the lot for the exchange. fun times were had by all.

[@wattsisnaim8111]

In Scranton, PA they have a unique solution to icy roads. Downtown they have roads heated wirh steam. Many homes and businesses also pay to be heated with city steam. If someplace else does this. I am unaware of it. It is the only place I have lived that did this. I have no idea what this costs the city, but even on very cold and snowy days, the downtown streets always cleared quickly..

[@Fredward0216]

I am surprised you did not mention coal ash as a treatment for icy roads. That's what they used in my hometown, it made a mess but gave a bit of traction similar to sand.

[@celinak5062]

+

[@janpietercornet9364]

There is actually a fourth alternative to fix icy roads, and it's just being tested in Europe: turn the grass that grows on roadsides into a salty pulp that's good for treating icy roads. Or so the researchers claim, it's just being tested. There's info on grass2grit.nl, unfortunately only available in Dutch, but google translate seems to do a decent job of turning it into English. Happened to be on the local news just two days ago.

[@youmaycallmeken]

2 other possible answers: 1. heated roads as some driveways are. 2. a road surface designed to be non-stick to falling snow and ice, yet provide traction of vehicle tires.

[@Swenthorian]

Oh, wow. Michael's really cleaned up.

[@Master_Therion]

Icy what you did there.

[@culwin]

The cold never bothered me anyway

[@gabriel300010]

@@azdgariarada his brine has been a little slow these days

[@gabriel300010]

but dont worry, I think he just needs a little warm-up

[@KimRobinson-middle-initial-R]

In Carabou County, ID, they use ground up cinder (from dormant cinder cone volcanos), probably with some salt mixed in.

[@TheWeltandmelt]

i just put this together after hearing it, urea cream is used on feet for fungal issues and dry feet, no wonder why people say peeing on your feat can help with those issues.

[@martingoldfire]

No salt is the best, because people actually have to learn how to drive in slippery conditions. Proper tyres are also a must, that means skinny tyres made for nordic conditions, but atleast you don't float on top of the snow because you "just have to have awesome rims". Studs are also good, and soon there will be a tyre on the market that hides the studs inside until you need them. Just so it's said, I live in a forest in Norway and is educated as a tyre-expert, I know what I'm talking about.

[@piteoswaldo]

Do you know about tire chains? I know they are required in Argentina and Chile, but never heard about its use somewhere else.

[@martingoldfire]

@@piteoswaldo They are good for getting out of tricky situations, but not something that can be used at speed. Ambulences in Norway have a system of chains linked to the driveshaft that can be deployed in need, but I've never seen those on private cars. 18 wheelers are required to carry chains to enter Norway in the winter, but sadly the drivers aren't required to demonstrate how to use them.

[@calamusgladiofortior2814]

A few folks in the comments have suggested heated roadways. The problem - other than the huge amount of energy involved - is you'd end up with all sorts of animals lying on the nice, warm roads. You'd have constant traffic jams from all the cats sprawled out in sunbeams on the heated roads.

[@celtgunn9775]

In the neighborhood where I just moved out of, they used a sand/gravel on the roads. I'd rather use this, even though it doesn't work perfectly it only sits on the side of the road during the winter after they grade the snow off of the road. I dislike having my vehicles eaten apart by salt put on the road. People need to learn to drive on snowy/icy roads. It's sad just how many don't know what to do.

[@fr33tobem3]

Just got home from driving on icy roads and opened KZbin to this.

[@Emil-yd1ge]

Did anyone also observe that cities by the sea use WAY more road salt than cities inland? Makes sense, because when the wastewater ultimately runs into the sea, high salt concentration isn't an issue. That's at least what I thought when I was in Copenhagen last winter...

[@cloverdog85]

Most ppl use ice tires in my country due to the ice. We get alot of snow up in Canada.

[@edcrichton9457]

Studded tires are illegal in some states of the US because they damage the pavement and some people won't change their tires after winter ends.

[@naturegirl1999]

Wait...the salt we eat corroded metal? And keeps ice crystals from forming? I love this show for teaching me things like this

[@stevedoe1630]

I remember the great state of Vermont didn’t use to use any salt on their state highways. Really wasn’t all that bad, and a lot prettier, too. Maybe worked because there were less a-holes driving around (e.g. lower population density).

[@chari---zard]

How about tackling the problem from another angle? Do something more effective with the tires more than winter tires with spikes?

[@thomasbarlow4223]

Moving from Florida to Finland in a few months oh man snow here we come

[@invinciblebunghole7355]

Actually there is another relatively new option that’s brand name is magic. I work for a distributor, it’s a combination of pure molasses and magnesium no salt or water needed and it’s safe for land and pets. It can also be used to treat salt to make salt more efficient and therefore leading to less salt usage when a salt application is required.

[@ChasoGod]

How about having roads be made with heating elements inside? I know that driveways can be made to keep ice from forming by melting it. Keep the roads above the freezing point so snow melts and runs off into the sewers. They can run of the same power as the street lights.

[@rkpetry]

*_...salt mixed with ice also lowers it's temperature-like making ice cream the 'old fashion' way...have they tried electric road heaters...gravel might help break up the ice cover, though it 'rolls' easily too...spiked ice-chipping tires...crisscrossed ice-blades that slide but counteract..._*

[@loganv0410]

What's the carbon footprint of synthesized urea vs rock salt?

[@CiderDivider]

Perhaps it’s just me but I feel like the narrator is a bit calmer and more gentle than usual. Not that ice melt needs energy though... this relaxed voice is a pleasant tone to learn from!

[@tyleralmquist7606]

Actually, we use MgCl2 in Montana, not NaCl. It breaks down into more particles, and due to colligative properties that lowers the freezing point more than NaCl. They use salt in the rust belt because they have salt mines, which damages cars, therefore the “rust belt”

[@EdwardThimbleHands]

You know weird is more like, "rub your old toupee on your car tires before driving on icy roads" and not, "hey we are still using salt but maybe some sugar too."

[@AreThereNoMoreNames]

CMA, being similar to road salt but not remotely as corrosive, is a great replacement. Greatly reduces damage to infrastructure, as well. Costs a little more, and there's less revenue from taxes on sales of new vehicles lost to rust, though, so it remains a fairly unpopular option for government use.

[@Jared7873]

Potassium Chloride is marketed as de-icer safe for plants.

[@997ET]

sugar in the beets would be a really cool name for a band

[@kylewkendall]

The road salt is not usually sodium chloride but rather Potash (potassium chloride). One of saskatchewan's largest exports.

[@sebastianelytron8450]

Yep, I see road remedies in the near future.

[@christelheadington1136]

Genetic engineering,so humans can hibernate in the winter.We won't worry about icy roads while we're sleeping.

[@aquasama588]

Best solution: Just heat up earth then there will be no snow.

[@ianrbuck]

Oh yeah, road salt is really tough on bike chains. I've considered getting a bike with a rubber belt instead of a chain, but those are quite expensive.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

"But sand clogs sewers and is expensive to clean up, plus, it doesn't actually melt ice." Well, it doesn't _have_ to. The problem with ice is that it reduces traction, and so increases the frequency with which one loses of control of one's vehicle. Gravel sprinkled on the ice _increases_ traction and so _improves_ one's control of one's vehicle.

[@burgersnchips]

Need a system of heat pipes to gather heat in the summer and store it in the ground deep beneath the road surface, and then release it slowly during winter, just enough to keep the road at +0.5°C or so. Should be more-or-less maintenance free, but would be massively expensive to set up.

[@fitrianhidayat]

Let's pee on neighbour's road as a form of community service

[@evunotry-force2073]

They really glazed over sand being a really good choice

[@BTheBlindRef]

Sand is a terrible choice. They tried using sand here in the Seattle area for a number of years. It doesn't work very well for one. It doesn't help melt the ice, and the extra grip you get with it is minimal. In addition, the sand washes off the roadways when the ice melts, and it washes into streams and waterways. It turns out that the sand has worse long-term consequences for the environment and wildlife when consistently washed into these areas than the salt does. The salt impacts the areas a bit, but is quickly diluted and washed away with little lasting impact. So the environmentalists here finally realized that their solution to a problem that wasn't that big a deal in the first place was way worse than the original issue, so they went back to using salt again.

[@user-zp5vt1tu6b]

When we finally have automated self driving cars they can anticipate snowfall and work as a team to plow roads together. As for a replacement to salt. Maybe like orbeez soaked in alcohol? Hahah

[@Waterdust2000]

Kevin Stempien - as the next person tosses a match on the roads. Random Citizen: Look! the roads on fire!!

[@sarateubert8252]

@@Waterdust2000 and there goes the ice.

[@Lexander__]

Flagstaff AZ uses small volcanic cinders that give cars traction.

[@MattJasa]

Slowing Down, Not weird but effective for icy roads. Also New Tires makes the difference between getting stuck on a hill and making it over, specially if your tread is worn down.

[@hazard7732]

The solution, equip every single car with flamethrowers

[@Julez1303]

Your in Montana? You should look into our solar roadways here in sandpoint Idaho

[@masonadams194]

I live in Canada where it gets to cold for salt to work. Also everyone has to use winter tires

[@jpe1]

It’s been 30 years since high school chemistry, so I don’t remember for sure but I think freezing point depression is a colligative property (meaning that the number that matters is *how much* is dissolving, not *what* is being dissolved) so salts that separate into ions would be at least twice as effective (mole for mole) as sugars which remain as whole molecules. If table salt is the problem why not use a salt like Potassium formate or sodium acetate? I would think those would be better for the environment and easier on equipment than table salt, and more effective than sugar or urea (urea is also known as “DEF” (diesel emissions fluid)).

[@dmcpartlin17]

Watch out for those black ice!

[@ashknoecklein]

We use sand where I'm from in New England. No sewers to clog up--it's all well water and septic tanks.

[@Idlepit2]

It's not just sand, it's sand and salt aka grit

[@route2070]

How about hiw to deal with them as drivun. Ex. alternatives to snow chains since many place don't allow them or the effectiveness of cardboard and kitty litter after sliding off the road?

[@psammiad]

I believe some parts of Scandinavia used heated roads. Salt only works down to -10C, any colder than that it's ineffective.

[@DeathToDrugUsers21]

Using urea is probably worse for the environment. Working in landscaping we used it when the state put a hard ration on salt one bad winter due to supply running low. What happened was come spring all the grass near urea exploded in growth causing us to work alot longer than usual. Which means a big spike in mower equipment usage. Which means a spike in pollution.

[@Y2Kvids]

Just let the grasses or bush grow . This perception of beauty is doing more harm than running lawn mower fuel. Bushes and wide varieties of plants could sustain more animals, insects than just grass everywhere.

[@DeathToDrugUsers21]

@@Y2Kvids good luck convincing property owners and managers to do that.

[@Whiteflame128]

I've noticed a lot of places using some kind of liquid that they spray on the roads/sidewalks instead of dry/loose salt granules lately. It seems to work very well and not get washed off as quickly, but I don't know what it is. I was sort of hoping this video would explain that.

[@sirBrouwer]

i have used biodegrade cat litter. it works on multiple levels. it soaks up the water (no water is no ice, it increases the grip en it last a few days. (until it is fully degraded.)