home

salt suppliers

about salt

de-icing

salt & health

press office
releases
key facts
features
interviews
photos
contacts

research

links

releases

6/10/2008

Local authorities warned to stock up for de-icing roads

Local authorities are being urged to plan well ahead for snowfalls and ice this winter after late bad weather earlier this year kept the UK’s road salt suppliers at full stretch as local authorities battled to de-ice our roads and keep our highways safe.

Early indications are that temperatures across northern Europe this winter, including the UK, are likely to be colder than last and Salt Association members are keen to ensure that local authorities are not caught out by prematurely running down stocks of de-icing salt. Snow or ice has occurred in late spring over the past three years, bringing roads to a standstill and endangering lives.

Peter Sherratt, general secretary of the Salt Association, said: “Spreading salt on roads to make them safe is a vital task. Cost-saving is unlikely to be an adequate defence for authorities that fail to do so. Sudden bouts of cold weather can bring traffic chaos and inadequate de-icing of roads receives high-profile coverage in the media.

“Climate change means that the weather may be less predictable and there may be greater extremes. Winter maintenance teams operate under very difficult circumstances and have to be able to react to quickly changing weather forecasts. They must always be prepared to fight snow and icy road conditions.

“The rush of late orders our members received during and immediately after the last snowfall in April indicated that some local authorities had been over-optimistic in forecasting an end to bad weather – we think they need to be better prepared.”

During April 2008’s snow, the Met Office issued several flash warnings of severe or extreme weather and BBC Weather warned that driving was treacherous in many areas. A number of flights were cancelled and some roads – such as parts of the M56 – were closed because of ice.

Mr Sherratt added: “The economic value of keeping roads open and relatively safe in icy conditions using salt is widely acknowledged. If roads are not cleared, the impact of accidents and increased fuel consumption are likely to be as significant environmentally as they are in economic terms, let alone the human cost. As long ago as the 1970s, a US study suggested that as much as 1.2 billion gallons of fuel were saved annually by winter maintenance.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• The Salt Association (previously the Salt Manufacturers’ Association) is the trade association representing UK manufacturers of salt, including domestic salt, catering salt, water-softening salt, industrial salt and de-icing salt. More detail on its stance on the health issue can be found at www.saltsense.co.uk.
• A study by Thornes in 2002 concluded that there is an economic benefit of £8 for every £1 spent on winter road maintenance.
• A MORI poll survey indicated that over half the population would be prepared to pay more in their council tax to have their local routes salted.
• The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 makes it clear that local authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow and ice.

More about road safety