The Future of Winter Service

The organisation of the National Salt Spreading Research Group (NSSRG) and the areas of research it has covered up to the year 2008 are briefly outlined. A review of research in 2008 concluded that a wider remit to cover all aspects of winter service would be appropriate and that the group should be renamed as the National Winter Service Research Group (NWSRG). Themes to be addressed have been defined and are grouped under the headings Safety and Risk, Access and Mobility, Cost and Value, Efficient Service Provision, Environment, Sustainability including Energy and Emissions and Asset Management Plans. A more detailed list is provided of research areas where strategies are required for the particular needs of the UK including prioritisation of routes, reduction in salt use, planning for extreme conditions and the use of alternative de-icing methods and materials. Research topics are being developed based on cost, benefit and the likelihood of success in producing a useful tool and with safety issues receiving the highest weighting.