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• Make Time for Winter

In severe weather our winter teams need the time and space to do their job

We have a network of weather stations, road surface temperature monitors and other technology - and we work closely with colleagues at the Met Office - but the weather can still spring surprises.  Even if the time and location of snowfall is perfectly forecast, it will still take us time to clear the snow after it has fallen and to treat the road with salt to reduce the risk of ice.

Remember: snowploughs can't get through if the road or motorway is full of stationary traffic!

We have updated our fleet in recent years and now have:

• Over 500 winter service vehicles (snow blowers, and  salt spreaders with snowplough attachments) at more than 100 depots across our network
• Salt barns with a joint capacity of more than a quarter of a million tonnes of salt

Drive carefully and adjust your driving to the conditions

 In severe weather problems on the roads can easily multiply. If you get stuck going up a hill, then others can become stuck behind you, then rescue services and winter clearance teams will find it harder to get through. Try to keep moving steadily in as high a gear as possible.

Don't rush

In severe weather you will need to allow more time for your journey. When it is forecast are you able to change your travel plans - can you work at home for example?

If, when it snows heavily, everyone rushes onto the roads to make their journey it could mean struggling through difficult conditions and the extra traffic will make access more complicated for our winter service teams.  It may sound obvious, but the snow ploughs and salt spreaders need to be ahead of you, not behind you in the queue!  By delaying your journey it could help to give our teams the time and space to do their job.