Today's Car Care Tip: Magnesium Chloride (Mag) -- What Does It Mean To Colorado Drivers?
Here in Colorado, the roads are kept snow- and ice-free with a compound called Magnesium Chloride, a liquid brine (salt) compound that makes roads look damp when it's a liquid, but leaves a white residue when it's dry.
In Colorado, Mag is sprayed on roads before storms or freezing temperatures, which prevents ice and snow from sticking to the road to all the way down to -10° and which lasts for up to 2 weeks.
Mag works much better than salt and sand, and costs less, causes less road damage, is easier on the environment, and won't kill plant life.
What this means for drivers in areas where Mag is used is a significantly reduced accident rate (50-75% less), fewer closed mountain roads, and less car-related corrosion than salt.
Mag is still quite corrosive, though. As such, I recommend that after driving in conditions where Mag has been used you wash your car as soon as possible with soap and water. A good wax job can help resist corrosion in the first place.
Even if roads near you have been sprayed with Mag, though, you should still drive defensively. Wet, wintery conditions are always unpredictable for drivers, so be careful!
