Why doesn’t ODOT just use sand?
The use of sand does not work well under every winter roadway condition. In many cases, winter anti-icer/deicer liquids work better than sand. The anti-icers/deicers have been shown to be very effective for melting or preventing black ice. Anti-icers perform well in some freezing rain or light snow conditions. In addition, anti-icers can keep snow from firmly sticking to the pavement, and can be applied ahead of the storm, so the road is ready for traffic. Anti-icers/deicers do have limitations and are not always the best tool for the conditions. Sand is the best tool for improving traction on packed snow and in heavy snowfall conditions, but sand requires a lot of handling. It requires repeated applications because it is easily blown off the road by traffic. In some areas, sand has to be swept up and hauled away for disposal, all of which add substantial costs. Even though ODOT has strict standards limiting the size of sanding particles, sand can chip windshields, headlights, and pain
