Information on Loughborough

Busy month for Leicestershire's gritters

Posted on 05/01/2010

Leicestershire Councty Council

5 January 2010

Busy month for Leicestershire's gritters

Gritters took to the county's roads more than 20 times last month and are continuing to treat Leicestershire's highways.

The fleet of 17 vehicles was sent out 25 times during December which is the most in recent years.

With prolonged snow and cold weather forecast, drivers are being urged to familiarise themselves with gritted routes, stick to the main roads and plan their journeys.

If conditions are particularly hazardous, only essential journeys should be made and speeds reduced to avoid accidents.

Leaflets showing the gritting routes can be downloaded from the County Council's website at www.leics.gov.uk/winterdriving and are available from local libraries or Council Offices or by calling 0116 306 0001.

When ice is forecast, 45% of the road network is treated including most A roads, some B and C class roads, major commuter and bus routes and as far as is possible, at least one route through all villages.

As the county's barns were fully stocked at the start of the winter, there are still adequate levels but to prevent these running out - as has happened in other areas - it is important that stocks are conserved for the routes described above.

Mark Stevens, County Council Highways Assistant Director, said: "Although the County Council will grit 45% of the road network when it’s icy, drivers are still warned to take care and never to assume that any road is completely ice free.

"We would urge drivers to make sure they have a copy of the gritting route leaflet, stick to the main roads and take extra care."

The County Council has 17 gritters which spread roughly 150 tonnes of salt each night, covering 1,200 miles of highway.

In a cold winter, frost and ice usually appear across the whole surface of a road. Motorists are urged to drive carefully as braking distances can be up to 10 times longer in icy conditions.