Among new technology and new methods in winter road maintenance, with special interest, the following can be emphasized.

Advanced technology highway maintenance vehicle: The maintenance vehicle is not only an operational truck but also a mobile data gathering platform. The following examples of sensors and equipment have been suggested: - System to determine the location of the truck by use of GPS technology - System for recording meteorological data such as air and road surface temperature, humidity and sight distances - System for gathering data about road surface conditions, road surface friction characteristics and freezing point temperature of a wet, moist or slushy road - System for recording application rate of spread materials, e.g. sand or salt - System for transmitting the above mentioned data wirelessly to a dispatch centre where data are recorded on magnetic media.

Admixture of sugar to salt: - Sugar cannot melt snow or ice but can prevent abrupt freezing - Patent process: Sugar is manufactured directly from raw sugar beet, not from waste agricultural products - End product: Sugar beet flour containing 75 % sugar and 25 % beet substance - 30 % sugar beet flour is mixed with 70 % warm water, enzyme is added and

completed sugar solution is obtained. About 25 % sugar content - The sugar solution was tested mixed with brine, and also when used for prewetting dry salt - The results did not show any significant differences in friction characteristics.

Admixture of sugar to sand: - Sand was mixed with 50-100 litres of sugar solution per m3 - Result: The same friction characteristics as sand mixed with 80 litres of brine per m3 - No problems with freezing in storehouse.

Warm sand: - Method: Hot water is mixed with sand at the moment of spreading - Sand adheres to the road surface and creates a sandpaper effect - Long duration in stable weather conditions.