I am sorry to hear so many people feel they have been let down by the Gritters,here is some info I hope redresses the balance.
When snow is forecast, the Council sends out the gritters. Trouble spots are identified by networks of sensors embedded in the asphalt.
On roads and highways across the UK, discs are embedded in the road surface to measure climatic conditions. Each is connected by cable or mobile phone technology to an automatic weather station, an unassuming grey box by the roadside.
Sensors measure road and air temps, rain, dew and salt levels
GPS is now being used to provide detailed ice predictions
Authorities use data to decide when to send out gritters
It's a system developed in the 1970 and 80s and now widely used across the country to track and predict road conditions throughout inclement months. To have accurate information about driving conditions is invaluable to road authorities and local councils to decide when - and where - to send out the gritters.
The sensors are sited either on a representative stretch of road (no nearby trees, buildings or bridges, which offer some protection from the cold), or traditional cold spots. The weather stations then beam back data about air and road temperatures, wind speed and direction, and the wetness of roads.
This is posted on an intranet for officials to monitor, along with analysis by meteorologists using local weather forecasts.
Salt levels are also measured to ensure that grit already spread has not been blown away by wind or washed away by rain,.
Major routes have to take priority once these routes have had a sufficiant coating of grit then minor routes can be looked at.Because conditions have been so severe it is taking longer to treat major routes.Unfortunatly there is not the equiptment or manpower(pardon the pun)to treat all pavements,if however everyone was to clear the bit of pavement outside there home or buisiness this would help us all.I hope everyone will spare a thought for the operaters of the gritters and snow ploughs and the very unsocial hours they are working,yes I know they are paid but were would we be without them,lets stop bashing the Grit teams and give them some support..One more thought who clears the roads so the grit teams can get to work???