Great salting out there but perhaps a winter driving test would help?

I've been out and about walking the dogs all over the place during this cold snap and up here on Berkshire's north downs the Ridgeway and other ancient tracks offer great walks. The salting of the roads have been excellent even up here where our single track roads are often missed leaving some of our community with a much more difficult journey. There were a few notable exceptions with some roads deep in a very skiddy snow and ice combination. The locals avoided these roads and used the ones salted, but others (and I've seen some rather daft speeding delivery drivers skidding into the bank and a few of the 'beemer' set thinking they are invulnerable) have been crashing into banks, cars, walls etc.

It does seem that because of this other set of drivers that we consume so much salt. In order to attempt to stop the looney drivers from crashing we have to liberally salt every road. This consumes a lot of salt - not the most environmentally friendly product out there; a lot of our cash buying and spreading it; and diverts salt from path ways and cycle paths - where it could be better used.

With the continued cold snap and likely requirement for more and more salt to keep our roads open and free - I can't help wondering if we have enough salt stored and available to us. I also wonder if simulated cold weather and skid driving should be part of the driving test - and perhaps even a mandatory top up test for professional drivers and optional education for the rest of us (with insurance discounts?).