Sponsored Editorial

With a milder spell seeing day-time temperatures reach up to 15’C in places during December, it has not felt much like winter lately.

Despite the warmer conditions, Kent County Council’s highways teams have been keeping busy to make sure they keep traffic flowing.

Here is a list of seven things you need to know about winter on the county’s roads.

Gritting routes

To keep Kent’s network of 58 primary main road routes moving, it is vital our 64 gritters are deployed once the right conditions have been predicted. The teams head out to spread salt once the Road Surface Temperature is predicted to hit 0C. So, while you may not see gritters when it is very cold outside, rest assured they will be deployed once the likelihood of ice forming increases. You can see KCC’s primary gritting routes by clicking here.

Salt bins

They are the big yellow boxes that you may have seen on the side of the road or on the pavement while out and about for your walk. Salt bins are an essential piece of kit for many neighbourhoods and KCC ensures they are restocked and ready to go each year before winter. In the event of blizzards and heavy snow, the council must focus its resources on ensuring the major routes are able to be kept open. Therefore, over 3,000 salt bins across the county act as a vital tool for drivers and residents to salt small areas of roads and pavements not within the primary routes.

Keeping up to date

Winter weather can arrive quickly and bring joy to many, but for others it brings challenges and difficulty. To avoid being caught out, it is always a good idea to be aware of developments. Whether it be on social media or by listening to your local radio station, people often make a special effort to keep in touch with the weather forecast at this time of the year. KCC has several ways of keeping residents informed if winter weather is likely to arrive. You can search for Gritting Kent on Facebook and Twitter, as well as Kent Highways, where it shares the very latest official information on the weather that can be expected.

Farmers

It takes many different people to keep Kent moving when the worst winter weather hits our streets. A massive part of keeping the county’s more rural routes open is a strong network of hard-working farmers. Kitted with the latest winter-proof gear, farmers can turn their tractors into snow-busting machines by using one of the ploughs provided to them by KCC. Kent has a wide variety of road styles and with many parts only reachable by the rural network, it is essential these areas are cleared to allow emergency access. This crucial role also allows Kent’s rural economy to continue operating, ensuring people can get to work and manage demand. Click here to read an interview with one of the farmers who helps to carry out this work.

Weather warnings

The Met Office uses its weather warning system to raise awareness of snow and ice when it has the potential to cause disruption to people’s lives. KCC uses these warnings to understand whether people living, working and visiting Kent should be told to take extra care on the roads. These warnings are proven to be a valuable insight into the conditions road users and pedestrians might face while they are out and about in adverse weather. You can keep up to date with the latest weather warnings for your area by visiting the Met Office website, keeping across the forecast and monitoring social media.

Be Prepared

Despite a vast network of helpers and advanced warnings, winter weather can sometimes arrive with little or no warning. That is why it is recommended that drivers check they are prepared before they travel. According to the AA there are a few essentials you should consider carrying with you if you know you have to go out in winter weather. They include warm and waterproof clothing, sturdy footwear, a hot drink and snacks, hi-vis jacket, warning triangles, jump leads and a shovel. Drivers should also make sure their vehicles are ready for winter weather by checking tyre pressure, that there is enough antifreeze in their water and clearing the windscreen before setting off.

SMART routes

As part of KCC’s commitment to make its winter service as efficient and cost-effective as possible, it is investing in digitising all its gritting routes. This means gritter drivers will be told when to start spreading salt by an automated programme – similar to a SatNav. All the routes have been analysed to ensure roads can be appropriately treated in the best way possible, minimising the time gritters are on the roads and maximising the protection offered by the salt.

To read more about how Kent County Council prepares for winter weather, and what to do if we are greeted with the white stuff, click here.