How we deal with winter weather

We carry out precautionary salting on the roads if we are expecting the road surface to reach freezing – or if the snow is forecast. This goes a long way towards keeping our roads safe and clear during spells of cold weather. But when it snows very heavily even salt can’t stop it from piling up. Besides the snow we also have to deal with:

• Black Ice: this is very difficult to see and therefore very dangerous.

• Hoar frost: while ice crystals occasionally form on the roads, and although a light coating is quickly melted by the pressure and heat from road traffic, untreated areas can still cause slippery conditions.

• Freezing Rain: possibly the most dangerous of all wintry conditions. Although rare there is no effective way of dealing with it. It occurs when rain first falls upon the freezing road surface where it immediately turns into ice. However, salt on the road changes the ice back into water. This washes the salt away allowing ice to form as further rain falls.

Resources do not permit us to treat all roads so a salting priority network has been established.

Salting priority is given to two types of road and is based on national recommendations.

• Priority 1: major roads which form the backbone of the road network in the borough.

• Priority 2/3: these roads, though less important, are other heavily trafficked routes, bus routes and roads serving key locations e.g. hospitals, bus stations, town centres etc.

We carry out precautionary salting to approximately 352 km of roads, 36% of all borough roads.

Other roads and all footways within the borough are only treated in exceptional circumstances. This is when severe weather conditions persist and only after all priority routes have been fully and adequately treated.

We are responsible for deciding what to do to protect road users against winter weather.

We monitor conditions around the clock to meet our objectives of treating Priority 1, 2, and 3 roads before ice forms or snow falls.

We also receive special 24 hour weather reports from the Met Office. These contain detailed predictions about the weather and how it affects Dudley’s roads. Road surface temperatures along with other data is fed directly to the Met Office for analysis. This information is used to help forecast road surface conditions leading to a more accurate and cost effective service.

The salt that is distributed by vehicles is kept on standby from mid-November to the end of March. They can treat all priority 1, 2, and 3 roads within 4 hours of the decision to salt being made.

Our drivers are fully trained and take all possible precaution during salting to protect the safety of other road users and themselves.

Salting is based upon well planned routes and as vehicles travel at less than 30 mph. So please be patient, take your time and do not attempt to overtake them.

Salt can be harmful to the environment so our vehicles will only spread as much salt as is necessary. Precautionary pre-salting when frost is expected uses less material than when dealing with expected snowfalls.

Is there a more environmentally friendly alternative to salt?

• We have looked carefully into possible alternatives but they would be up to 20 times more expensive to use and not necessarily more effective.

Why does it take a while to clear snow from the carriageway?

• Because there is a limit to the amount of vehicles and special equipment that we could have available just to deal with one or two instances of heavy snow each year.

Can a grit/salt bin be removed?

• Often a salt bin becomes the focus of vandalism or the meeting point for youths. If this becomes an unbearable nuisance, a request for the bin to be removed can be made.

Why don’t you clear all of the pavements?

• With the limited manpower and resources available there is usually a thaw before we have had enough time to clear all but a few town centre pavements.

In very severe weather conditions, when snow or ice may remain for some days, consideration is given, in priority order, to the treatment of pedestrian routes. This would start with town centres, shopping frontages and other busy pedestrian areas.

Is your journey, by car or on foot, absolutely essential?

Drive carefully in freezing weather. Check the conditions before you leave and take heed of police or weather warnings.

Remember, when you are driving, that we do not precautionary salt every road! In heavy snow please be patient.

Be particularly careful when out walking in freezing conditions.

Don’t leave vehicles where they will obstruct the free passage of maintenance vehicles.

Remember – not all roads are treated prior to frost. Even though many roads may appear clear on cold and frost mornings due to our overnight salting programme, others will hold hidden dangers. So take extra care at all times when driving in wintry conditions.

In winter it is even more important to check that your vehicle is well maintained and serviced:

• 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.
• Keep your battery fully charged.
• Add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additive to the windscreen washer bottles.
• Make sure your wipers are in good condition.
• Check tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure.
• Hail, rain and heavy snow reduce visibility, use dipped headlights and reduce your speed.
• 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.
• Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
• Manoeuvre gently, avoiding harsh breaking and acceleration.