Over 2 million tonnes of salt are spread onto the UK roads each year. The majority is spread onto Motorways, Trunk roads and Main roads. Less than a third of other roads are treated

Salting UK roads costs over £150 million per year.

Without salting, delays caused would cost £2 billion per year.

Local authorities are bound by an Act of parliament , passed in 2003, which states, "a highway authority are under a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice."

Dependent solely on the weather, a winter maintenance budget can vary vastly, making control of costs very difficult.

There can be a huge difference between different Highway Authority Winter Maintenance plans.

Historically, great attention is given to planning but less attention was paid to the outcomes/effectiveness of the salting activities. The introduction of technology to winter maintenance is now providing methods to review effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery.

Each year, approximately 1,000 people are killed or seriously injured on icy or snow covered roads.

EuroRAP survey results show the risk of being killed in a traffic accident in Britain is 5.9 per 100,000 population - the lowest in any country in Europe.

Britain's motorways and A roads were found to be the safest in Europe, despite the fact that Britain has by far the busiest roads. " Movement from Local Government control now means that the Private sector is responsible for the maintenance of the country's motorways and Trunk roads, signalling a commitment to Public/Private sector partnerships.

70% of Salt Union Ltd's customers now take 6mm salt which results in a reduction in windscreen damage, controls spread away from verges which results in less wastage.

10mm salt may be better for spreading wider roads and for greater penetration on lying snow.

Salt Union Ltd supplies 6 grades of salt. Dryrox 6mm, Dryrox 10mm, Thawrox 6mm, Thawrox 10mm and Thawrox Plus.

Dryrox has a lower moisture content than Thawrox. Thawrox is often taken when stored in salt barns, whereas Dryrox is taken to be stored outside, where it will naturally absorb more moisture from the environment.

Salt is mainly distributed by road but Salt Union Ltd has recently been awarded a rail grant to distribute salt via the rail network. Some salt was also moved by narrowboat for the National Waterways Exhibition during 2002.

For calibration of Spreader vehicles bulk density and flow characteristics are particularly important depending on the grade of salt used. The delivery rate of damp salt is less than that of dry salt.