Winter maintenance on Scotland 's trunk roads
During the winter period a 24 hour dedicated winter service operates on all Scottish motorways and trunk roads. The Executive's contractors have plans in place. We fully expect these plans to provide the protection and support necessary for motorists and keep delays to a minimum.
- Amey and BEAR Scotland, the companies that manage and maintain Scotland's motorways and trunk roads on behalf of the Scottish Executive, operate winter maintenance plans from October to mid May.
- These flexible plans operate 24/7 and use up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, ice detectors and regular patrols to keep as informed as possible about conditions
- They aim to reduce delays and accidents by pre-treating roads to prevent the formation of ice and snow, and by clearing snow from carriageways and hard shoulders as soon as conditions permit.
- Local Authorities are responsible for this work on the local road network.
- Gritters are fitted with Global Positioning Systems and computers that monitor and control the spread of salt
- Last year over 50,000 tonnes of salt was used to pre-treat Scotland's trunk roads
- Snowblowers are used to move up to 900 tonnes of snow per hour from snow walls over 12 ft high.
Winter driving advice
This Link takes you to the Scottish Executive's Safe Winter Driving leaflet.
Respect the elements
The British winter is unpredictable. Bad weather can strike suddenly so the best advice when severe weather hits is to stay off the road. Without doubt, the most important question to ask yourself is, "Is my journey absolutely essential?", as we make non-essential journeys all the time. In bad weather, they could be very costly.
If you must drive, however, make sure you are prepared for the conditions
During winter weather conditions
- Check the local and national weather forecasts.
- Ensure your membership of a roadside recovery organisation is up to date.
- Listen to local and national radio for travel information.
- Tell someone at your destination your expected arrival time
- Carry a mobile phone for emergency use
- Carry warm clothing, hot drinks, food, suitable footwear and a torch
- In snowy conditions, take a spade
- Clear your windows, lights and mirrors before you set out
- Carry an ice-scraper and de-icer.
If you get into trouble
- Do not use a mobile phone while driving.
- On a motorway, it is best to use a roadside emergency telephone, because the breakdown/emergency services will be able to locate you easily. If you have to use a mobile phone, make sure you know your location from the numbers on the marker posts on the side of the hard shoulder.
- Park your vehicle as far from the carriageway as possible.
- Stay near your vehicle until help arrives. Abandoned vehicles can hold up rescue vehicles and snowploughs.
- If you have to leave your vehicle to get help, make sure other drivers can see you.
Vehicle condition
- In winter it is even more important to check your vehicle is well maintained and serviced.
- Keep the lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from ice and snow.
- Keep your battery fully charged.
- Add anti-freeze to the radiator and winter additive to the windscreen washer bottles.
- Make sure wipers and lights are in good working order.
- Check that tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure.
Adjust your driving to the conditions
- Hail, heavy snow and rain reduce visibility.
- Use dipped headlights and reduce your speed.
When roads are icy or slushy
- It can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions.
- Drive slowly, allow extra room to slow down and stop.
- Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.
- Manoeuvre gently, avoiding harsh braking and acceleration.
- To brake on ice or snow without locking your wheels, get into a low gear earlier than normal, allow your speed to fall and use the brake pedal gently.
- If you start to skid, ease off the accelerator. Do not brake suddenly.
Watch out for fog
- Watch out for fog - it drifts rapidly and is often patchy.
- In foggy conditions, drive very slowly using dipped headlights.
- Use fog-lights if visibility is seriously reduced, but remember to switch them off when visibility improves.
- Don't 'hang on' to the tail-lights of the vehicle in front. This gives you a false sense of security and means you may be driving too close.
- Don't speed up suddenly, even if it seems to be clearing. You can suddenly find yourself back in thick fog.
Winter sun
- Dazzle from winter sun can be dangerous. Keep a pair of sunglasses handy.
Rain
In wet weather, stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads. In wet weather:
- Keep well back from the vehicle in front to increase your ability to see and plan ahead.
- If steering becomes unresponsive, it probably means the water is preventing the tyres from gripping the road. Ease off the accelerator and slow down gradually.
- The rain and spray from vehicles may make it difficult to see and be seen.
- Use dipped headlights in heavy rain or spray, or in poor daytime visibility,
Flooded roads
- Don't attempt to cross if the water seems too deep.
- Drive slowly in first gear but keep the engine speed high by slipping the clutch - this will stop you from stalling.
- Avoid the deepest water, usually near the kerb.
- Remember - test your brakes when you are through the flood before you drive at normal speed.
Take care around winter maintenance vehicles
- Take care when travelling behind winter service vehicles. Drivers of vehicles such as salt spreaders and snowploughs take all reasonable precautions to protect the safety of other road users.
- Salting vehicles travel at speeds of up to 40 mph spreading salt across all lanes of the carriageway. Drivers are advised to maintain a safe distance behind them. Do not attempt to overtake.
- Snow ploughing can throw up irregular amounts of snow that may be a hazard to vehicles. Drivers are advised to maintain a safe distance behind vehicles and not to attempt to overtake.
Rail travel
For the latest information on trains contact First ScotRail on:
www.firstgroup.com/scotrail or 0845 601 5929
UK-wide transport information is available from the Traveline on: www.traveline.org.uk/index or 0870 608 2608