Many councils and local authorities across the UK are bringing in innovative measures to make sure their roads and highways are properly gritted and cleared during wintry weather this year, including using GPS devices and surveying equipment to assess the worst affected areas and manage the gritting routes.

An online survey of the winter readiness of local authorities, carried out in September by the Local Government Association, found that nearly all councils had learned crucial lessons from last year's unexpectedly harsh - and early - winter.

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The survey found that some 51 per cent of councils had ordered more gritting and salting supplies for their fleets, and had used measurements and assessments taken during the worst of the weather last year to amend their routes.

Councils have, on average, eight full-sized gritters and one mini gritter at their disposals. The careful identifying and GPS-plotting of the routes that gritters are to take, indicates that councils will be able to keep on average 41 per cent of their road networks open during the most severe weather conditions, with the busiest and most important routes taking priority.

The local authorities have also come to embrace resource sharing, with 37 per cent of respondents to the survey indicating that they would be sharing salt stocks with neighbouring local authorities.

Visit: www.surveyequipment.com for more information.