Gritters will be out tonight

The gritting team will be out from 7pm treating roads across the county as the Met Office predicts road surface temperatures will drop to -2C overnight. Motorists are being asked to drive with caution and never assume that just because a road has been gritted it is safe to travel at normal speeds.

Vehicles were sent out last night to grit highways – covering around 800 miles worth of road around the county.

Before making a journey, drivers are asked to consider this simple advice.

Before you set off on your journey, do you have:
• Anti-freeze in your cooling system?
• Screen wash additive in your windscreen washers?
• At least 1.6mm depth of tread and the correct air pressures in your tyres?
• Clean lenses on your headlights?
• Properly working heaters and demisters?

Planning your journey is vitally important in adverse conditions. Taking the following steps before you leave could prevent problems out on the roads:
• Check the local weather forecast
• Check the driving conditions on your route with your local radio station
• Take extra equipment with you, eg. mobile phone, spade, towrope, torch, flask, warm and highly visible clothing and spare pieces of old carpet to place under your wheels for traction in case you get stuck in snow
• Make sure someone at your destination is expecting you at a certain time
Driving on ice or snow needs extra care:
• Use dipped headlights and drive more slowly than usual
• Allow up to ten times your normal stopping distance
• Keep your distance from vehicles ahead of you
• To avoid skidding, brake very gently or ease off the accelerator early
• If you have to abandon your vehicle try not to block the road; snow-ploughs, gritters and emergency vehicles may need to come past
• Keep windscreens clean

For more information about the county council's gritting operations visit worcestershire.gov.uk/gritting

Alternatively, follow Worcestershire County Council on Twitter at twitter.com/worcscc for regular 'Gritter Twitter' tweets.