Regular and detailed weather forecasts predict the conditions on Dudley's roads. This helps us to make decisions about when and where to salt on our routes.
We aim to grit our main network of roads before the onset of any hazardous conditions, although this sometimes isn't practical.
Winter maintenance operations
A service review has been undertaken with regard to the Winter Maintenance Service but particularly the use of Grit Bins.
The outcome of this review has determined that: -
The authority will not be considering any current or future requests for new Grit Bin locations.
We are currently in the process of removing Grit Bins on gritting routes and in other locations close to a gritting route on a usage and risk basis. Only empty Grit bins will be filled prior to the winter season, and this was determined by an inspection that was undertaken in May 2025.
There will be no mid-season request for refilling of Grit Bins.
Weather Watch
We work hard to ensure our services continue to run during the winter period. However, some services might be affected by severe weather.
To keep up-to-date with the latest information, visit our Weather Watch page
Winter weather
British winters are not predictable. This can cause us a real problem as bad weather can strike suddenly and severely. It doesn’t have to be very cold for the road surface to freeze. In winter road surface temperatures can be up to 4 degrees colder than the air temperature.
At all times our first priority is your safety. We aim is to keep delays and accidents caused by wintry conditions to a minimum. We attempt to ensure that major roads are treated with salt as a precaution against the possibility of ice patches forming or snow accumulating.
Winter motoring
In winter it is even more important to check that your vehicle is well maintained and serviced.
- Keep your battery fully charged
- Make sure your wipers are in good condition
- Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin
- Manoeuvre gently, avoiding harsh breaking and acceleration
- Check tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure
- Only a portion of the borough highway network is treated with salt so motorists should consider the use of winter tyres. Winter tyres offer significantly enhanced safety in cold temperatures (below 7C°) and icy conditions by providing superior grip, shorter braking distances, better handling and reduced aquaplaning risk compared to summer tyres. They achieve this through a specially formulated rubber compound that remains flexible in the cold and a deeper, more intricate tread pattern with extra cuts that bite into snow and ice, while also efficiently dispersing water.
- Add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additive to the wind screen washer bottles
- Hail, rain and heavy snow reduce visibility, use dipped headlights and reduce your speed
- Ensure your lights and mirrors are clean and free from ice and snow before you set off and that they remain so throughout your journey
- It can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road, so please drive slowly, allowing extra room to slow down and stop
To get more advice about winter motoring, visit out winter motoring page.