We’re over halfway between winter and spring. And, sure, Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring this year. However, if you’re like me, it’s probably starting to feel like winter is barely picking up. It wasn’t until the last three or four weeks that I started wearing thicker clothing at night and putting extra blankets on my bed. (Spring, where are you?!)
But since we’re stuck in the middle of it all, it’s important that we remain prepared for the continuation of frost and winter storms. Adding salt to roads is one thing that many cities do during these icy, snowy months, that is, to make asphalt easier and safer to drive on. But many car experts would tell you that road salt, while it does make driving more efficient in the wintertime, is chemically harsh on cars.
According to Larry Linfield from Don and Wally’s Service Center in Norwood, Massachusetts, “Once it gets through the paint to the metal, then it does a lot of damage quickly. It’s like cancer. When it starts, it starts. It spreads really quickly.”
The good news is, there may be a way to protect vehicles from the rapid damage caused by road salt: the use of beet juice alongside corn oil or soybean oil and salty brine.
The General Foreman of the Wellesley Highway Department, Kevin Collins, found that this mixture is effective. It’s something he and his team have been using for years.
“The beets that you have on the kitchen table are not the same as the sugar beets we’re using out on the roadway. The sugar beets are a larger beet, they’re white. So we take the regular brine and add it to this beet/corn oil/soybean oil mixture at an 80/20 ratio. We’re not going to get away from salt, we’re just trying to use it a little more responsibly.”
Not only is the mixture more effective and safer for cars when compared to traditional road salt, but it’s also more financially sound as it requires less salt to make. It’s a win-win all around!
The sticky yet highly functional concoction is certainly not unheard of in the Midwest. However, many regions have yet to switch over to the road salt alternative. Hopefully, in time, more cities will consider using beet juice on their public roads. If it saves taxpayers money, works better than traditional road salt, and is safer for vehicles, what’s there to lose?
Watch below to find out more about how beet juice may be a great ingredient to keep vehicles safe from the damaging components of road salt.
