Slippery Driving: Is Salt and Brine Still Used to Combat Icy Roads?

Central New York is experiencing its second winter storm in the last week as cold winter weather arrives early making driving difficult for many. The Black Friday lake-effect storm caused poor driving conditions and dumped nearly 20 inches of snow on parts of the Greater Utica area last week. Now, a few days later, a coastal storm has brought up to seven inches of slippery snow causing several accidents on Tuesday and forcing nearly all of the regions schools to close, using up the season's first snow day.

Why Were the Roads So Slippery?

Social media has been inundated with people complaining about unplowed, slippery roads on Tuesday as plow crews worked to keep up with a steady snow through the morning commute. Many schools had issued a 2-hour delay initially, but were forced to cancel classes because of poor road conditions. Some people online were complaining that the state and local municipalities are making a concerted effort to use less salt on the roads, because of the negative environmental impact. Others complained that brine, which is usually spread on the roads before a storm, is no longer being used because of the negative effect it has when it runs off into lakes and streams.

Here are the Facts, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.

According to New York State, new initiatives to use less salt have been implemented since last season, and that actually means the DOT and local municipalities will be using more brine than ever before because it's less harmful to the environment.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez announced in August that the state would expand its road salt management pilot program for the 2025-26 snow and ice season, building off previous efforts by NYSDOT and other state agency partners to strategically implement safe, smart, and fiscally responsible salt reduction improvements while maintaining a safe and reliable transportation system.

““We are continuously improving our operations, refining our craft and adopting best management practices throughout the year that our crews can utilize during snow and ice events.  We’ve even added road temperature sensors to our entire fleet so we know the exact materials to use before, during and after storms,” Commissioner Dominguez said.   "Our Department prepares for snow and ice season year round, and our crews will be ready this year to reduce salt, protecting the environment while maintaining a safe highway system for all New Yorkers.”

In addition to brine and rock salt, many municipalities use sand on the roads to create traction for motorists during slippery road condition events.

In 2020, New York State adopted the Rock Salt Reduction Act, designed to reduce the amount of salt toxins that were released into the water supply. According to the Department of Conservation, it only takes one-teaspoon of road salt to permanently contaminate 5-gallons of water.