Gritters head out tonight

Devon County Council has announced that it’s the first time this winter that all 37 frontline gritters have been called into action, as the Met Office has issued a Yellow Weather Warning for ice in parts of the county until 10am tomorrow morning.

Road surface temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing in most areas, with some areas expected to dip below -2C.

Following rain showers earlier today, which could turn wintry later, road users are being advised to expect challenging driving conditions overnight and tomorrow morning, with the possibility of icy patches.

Gritters will be treating around 1,700 miles of Devon’s road network from around 7pm tonight and will continue to monitor conditions overnight.

Routes on higher ground, such as Dartmoor and Exmoor, will receive multiple treatments.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We’ve seen conditions become colder in the last few days, and with road surface temperatures set to drop below zero tonight, there’s a chance that wet patches on the roads may become icy. It’s the first time this winter that our gritting teams will be treating the main precautionary gritting routes across the county, but as always, they can’t grit every mile of our network. If you find yourself behind a gritting vehicle, please be patient and also take care on freshly gritted roads.

“The forecast is for a mix of conditions for the remainder of this week, so I would urge everyone to allow extra time for your journey and drive according to conditions. The combination of freezing temperatures while there’s still a lot of surface water around can make roads hazardous, particularly off the gritting network, so please take extra care.”

Please remember the following advice:

• Never assume a road has been salted. Showers or rain will wash salt off roads, leaving them prone to ice. In extreme cold, even salting will not stop ice from forming.
• Allow additional time for your journey.
• Reduce your speed and leave more space between you and the vehicle in front.
• Drive with care and according to the conditions.
• Listen to local radio for updates on current weather conditions.