Continental secures safe roads in winter with its hose solutions

Technology company Continental equips winter road maintenance vehicles with flexible and robust rubber hoses, helping to keep streets clear of snow and ice in winter. For greater safety on your daily journey to work. Almost 19 million employees in Germany commute. What is more, according to a current study by the Research Institute of the Federal Employment Agency, the journey to work has become longer and longer. A growing number of people even travel distances of up to 50 kilometers daily. And for long journeys to work, most employees travel by car, according to a report from the ADAC automobile club. So it comes as no surprise that commuters – and not only commuters – want to remain mobile over the winter period as well. It is true nobody can predict whether and when the winter will turn white and frosty. However, if it is snowing and stormy, gritting or spraying vehicles belonging to municipal winter road maintenance services and their private contractors must be called out to ensure road safety in cities and municipalities even when snowing and icy. The obligation to maintain roads in winter is – with the exception of federal highways – regulation by laws covering roads in each federal state. In the non-city German states, content and scope of the obligation to clear and grit are also set out more precisely in municipal by-laws.

In matters of safety the choice of material being spread on all streets, sidewalks and cycling paths also plays a key role. In addition to pre-wetted salt and grit, pure common salt solution has also been used increasingly over the past few years. It is used particularly for prevention in the case of light frost and consists of 23.6 per cent common salt and 76.4 per cent water. Consequently, the common salt solution helps to save salt and negatively impacts the environment less than road salt. High-performance rubber hoses like Continental’s Gold Snake are required for spreading the common salt solution.

The black, non-porous and smooth EPDM lining of the high-performance water hose is suitable for allowing common salt solution to flow freely. The hose cover is dirt-resistant and resistant to weather, which makes it ideal for use in winter road maintenance vehicles. In addition, the high temperature range of minus 30° up to plus 100° C ensures that the Gold Snake remains flexible even under frosty winter conditions and is easy to handle.