We are talking about different stuff here, I think. I'm not against rock salt, in fact I think it has saved many lives over the years. We are talking about brine which is powdered salt that easily washes away and isn't plentiful enough to amount to a hill of beans anyway. We used Rock salt extensively in Vermont, but, not ahead of time because if it were just laying there on the road cars would run over it and turn it into the powder making it the same as the brine. It is applied after there is a measurable amount of snow or ice that is sticking to the surface. It is applied after the plows have minimized the amount on the road ways and the salt will melt it down to bare pavement almost immediately. If it's a big storm the procedure is repeated as often as necessary. Usually by the next morning our roads were clear and safe for driving.