These are the major findings of a Marquette University study, "Accident Analysis of Ice Control Operations," released as drivers and pedestrians cope with snow and ice. 

The first statistically-valid research into road de-icing’s safety benefits in North America, the study compared accident rates before and after salt spreading in four New York counties (Courtland, Monroe, Tompkins, and Wayne) and locations in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

It showed that the application of salt on snowy and icy roads reduces accidents by 88% on two lane roads and 85% on highways. 

The dramatic reduction in vehicle accidents and the resulting traffic delays as a result of salt application can accurately be characterized as "profit on taxpayers investment in de-icing," said Marquette Associate Professor David A. Kuemmel, the head of the research team. 

Specific benefits of road salting include: 

Salt reduces the cost of such accidents by 30 percent on highways and ten percent on two-lane roads, and their severity.  The ratio of injury cost to property damage costs dropped by 200 percent in highway accidents and 30 percent on two-lane road accidents after the application of sale. 

The cost of applying salt to icy roads pays for itself within 90 minutes in terms of direct road user benefits, which reached $6.50 for every dollar spent on salting.