DEC

12

WHY WE SALT ROADS

DATE: December 12, 2018

Living in Canada, where temperatures are often below 0°c you have most likely seen large commercial trucks spreading rock salt on the ground. Applying rock salt or deicers to our roads and streets is the most effective way of ensuring that ice does not form and the roads are safe to drive on.  Did you know, road surface condition is the single most important safety factor during a winter event; more important than visibility, precipitation intensity, air temperature, wind speed or exposure. Applying rock salt ensures that everybody can safely get to their destination. It not only is used on roads, but our walkways, parking lots and side streets. Did you know applying rock salt to ice does not actually cause the ice to melt? When rock salt is applied to the ground, it lowers the freezing temperature of the moisture which means that now for ice to form on the road, the temperature would have to become much colder

AT WHAT TEMPERATURE DO ROADS FREEZE OVER?

When temperatures drop to 0° or below, moisture on the ground begins to freeze over unless rock salt has been applied to the surface. When unsalted water reaches a temperature of 0°c, the water molecules begin to organize themselves into crystal structures in the form of ice. When salt is introduced to ice, it helps break the bonds between molecules, lowering its freezing temperature. This means more energy and a cooler temperature is now required for ice to form.

WHAT IS BLACK ICE?

Sometimes when roads freeze over, the entire road can become covered by a single, thin sheet of smooth ice that is almost invisible to both drivers and pedestrians. This phenomenon is called black Ice and can be incredibly dangerous.

The name ‘black ice’ became popular not because the ice is black, the coating of ice is transparent causing only the black asphalt of the road beneath to be visible. As black ice is almost impossible to spot in advance, it is often the cause of road accidents during winter time as the sudden loss of traction in a car may cause the driver to panic and spin out.

If you happen to encounter black ice on the road, the best advice is to remain calm. Your natural instinct may be to slam on the brakes and correct the steering wheel to keep the car straight, but this is a recipe for disaster. Experts say the correct approach is to ease off the accelerator, keep the steering wheel as straight as possible and slowly pump your brakes until you regain traction.

Here at Draglam Salt, all our products including rock salt, treated salt and de-icers are your number one defense against black ice or preventing any type of safety hazards when it comes to roads and walkways. Call us today at 416.798.7050 or visit our website www.draglamsalt.com to learn more about our products.