# Is it really worth it to put salt on roads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118 "2016-02-14T15:12:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/21 "2016-02-15T17:55:52Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’ve recently been informed that the entire bottom of my car is severely rusted (not the visible body though). Gotta get a new car, thanks to winters here. Don’t wait too long - I had an axle fall off while driving (!) due to undercarriage rust - the vehicle body looked great, though. Now that I live southier, I sometimes look at the undercarriage of my current vehicle just to gloat, marvel, and wonder at its pristinity. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/22 "2016-02-15T18:15:04Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Based on my experience with my driveway… > > There are times when salting is very effective at improving the safety of a surface. Other times it’s useless. The biggest problem is municipalities reflexively laying down salt during precipitation whether it will actually help or not. Problem is, the local sometimes demand that Something Be Done and salting the roads is Doing Something. > > So… yeah, some of it’s helpful, some not. Based on my experience with my driveway, I must disagree. If the surface is icy, I might be able to drive on it with snow tires, but I cannot walk safely down to the sidewalk on it. Salt always helps; either it melts the ice or else it provides traction. Eventually it always rots the ice. And my safety (and my wife’s) is more important than keeping my car rust-free. Tomorrow they are predicting snow, then freezing rain, then rain. I have to leave the house just about when the freezing rain is predicted to start and I will salt the driveway. The sidewalks, as I head to the commuter train, will be impassible, but the streets will be plowed and salted, so that’s where I will walk. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/23 "2016-02-15T20:41:30Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Based on my experience with my driveway, I must disagree. If the surface is icy, I might be able to drive on it with snow tires, but I cannot walk safely down to the sidewalk on it. Salt always helps; either it melts the ice or else it provides traction. Eventually it always rots the ice. And my safety (and my wife’s) is more important than keeping my car rust-free. Ah, you see - I never need to walk on my driveway and there is no sidewalk associated with it. For me, it’s strictly a driving matter, walking doesn’t enter into it. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/24 "2016-02-15T21:01:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Ah, you see - I never need to walk on my driveway and there is no sidewalk associated with it. For me, it’s strictly a driving matter, walking doesn’t enter into it. Heh. The one or two days a year I have to walk on mine is because I can’t drive up it – sheer ice. That means walking up it is…fun. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/25 "2016-02-16T12:33:36Z")
My anecdote from last night’s snow: Early in the day the roads were plowed and completely dried. When I drove home, there was a mere 1/2 inch of fresh powder. The main roads had plenty of salt leftover from the previous snow storms, and were merely wet so there was good traction. Some of the side roads were not salted and traction on them was far worse. In a FWD car with good snow tires, I could break traction with moderate braking or a slightly sharp turn. In that case, salt on the roads had a clear benefit. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118/26 "2016-02-16T13:34:59Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Colorado Springs uses sand, not salt. Road sand typically has a little salt in it to keep the sand from freezing into a solid block. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-worth-it-to-put-salt-on-roads/746118.md?page=1)