Counterfeit salt hits the streets of Padiham.

HIGHWAYS chiefs have been accused of using ‘fake salt’ to grit roads and footpaths in rural Pendle. 

Councillors in Barnoldswick said main routes in and out of the town, including Gisburn Road, remained ‘treacherous’ late yesterday morning, hours after gritting wagons had been out spreading.
They said the salt, spread by wagons and provided in bins for residents to use on footpaths, contained too much sand and not enough rock salt, making it ‘ineffective’ at melting snow and ice.

I think somebody has learned nothing after last years fiasco and is trying to cover it up. No "Lessons have been learned" here then.
If they were having trouble getting salt, they should have just gone to Sainsburys. After last weeks panic buying fun, they have stocked up with more salt than the dead sea. I went in yesterday and there was a whole trolley full of cut price salt in front of the till.
That's the difference between public and private sector. One plods along with their head in the sand, the other spots a business opportunity. You know which is which.

Both borough and town councillors accused highways bosses of not learning from previous years’ mistakes and urged them to review arrangements immediately.

Bit late now.

Town councillor Jenny Purcell said: “The main roads are treacherous because they aren’t using rock salt.
The highways bosses are penny pinching and pound wise. It’s going to cause major accidents.”
Coun David Whipp said grit bins had also been filled with ‘fake salt’.

The bean counting isn't working here. You are supposed to spend a bit more on salt to avoid all those nasty compensation claims that will come later.

But Lancashire’s highways boss made assurances that the mix of salt and sand was effective and accused councillors of ‘scaremongering’.
But County Councillor Tim Ashton, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The 50 per cent mix of salt and sand used in grit bins and supplied to Pendle Council to treat pavements is proven to be effective at de-icing and improving traction – to claim this is ‘fake salt’ is silly and nothing more than scaremongering.”

That's another public sector trait. Ignore the blindingly obvious and tell us everything is ok.
So are they right? Is the salt they are using, doing it's job and is all this talk of fake salt just scaremongering?

Is it F%$*!

Admittedly, the article was a bit lacking on facts and figures. Maybe there is an expert in the comments section who can tell us if this salt is doing it's intended job?

maz;0), gt.harwood says...
5:25pm Tue 30 Nov 10

It's usually the 4x4 drivers who drive too fast! intimidating us 'normal' drivers..soon as it snows they're out to play in their oversized fuel guzzling monsters,just doing the school run no doubt,or just nipping round the corner to the shop...and why are all the disabled spaces taken up by these monsters??the drivers and passengers dont have any problem jumping out and climbing in em!!

 Erm.....No.
But surely someone has some useful insight?

donroz, ex-Burnley says...
2:08pm Tue 30 Nov 10

Just a couple of things.

I emigrated from Burnley to Northern Manitoba, Canada 30 years ago, For approximately 5 months a year we drive ON snow. Snow in itself is not a hazard, what is a hazard is ice, driving to fast, and using so called 'all season tyres'.

Snow actually has very good grip, but there really is no such thing as all season tyres, these tyres are all season as far as wet and dry go, but not dry and snow, the rubber compound is simply too hard, winter tyres have incredibly soft rubber compounds.

The best advice I can give, is too drive slowly, brake very early and remember that if your wheels are stopped and are sliding you have no control. If you are trying to stop and start to slide, ease off the brakes so that the wheels can spin, then at least you can steer the car. Sitting there with the wheels spinning trying to move does nothing, stop, and the best thing to do is to carry cat litter, spread that or sand under the wheelsand try to move slowly again.

We will never beat mother nature, but we can live with it, drive slowly, brake early, keep the wheels turning and you really do not need salt.

BTW we have had snow on the ground here for about a month now, and will have until April, the sand we use on the raods is gathered up again in spring and reused, typically we recycle around 70% of our road sand, salt is definitely notan issue here, we don't use it!

safe driving guys, stay safe!

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