Winter driving tips as experts delve into five crucial ways to stay safe on the road

dailyrecord.co.uk:

North Ayrshire’s drivers are being urged to stay safe on the roads this winter as the colder weather gets set to bite.The council’s roads team is already on weather watch for any snow and ice forecast for the winter period.The team says a few simple measures can help make life much easier.Top tips include:Councillor Scott Davidson, cabinet member for place, said: “Driving conditions across North Ayrshire in winter can be challenging, with the weather being very changeable.

Snow, ice, rain, fog and lengthy periods of darkness are all factors drivers can be faced with.”A squad of 35 drivers from the council and 15 multi-purpose vehicles will be available 24/7 to keep the area’s priority routes in use throughout winter.These round-the-clock measures will be in place from late October right through to mid-April.Some 7,000 tonnes of road salt is stocked at the council’s mainland storage depot in Kilwinning, with a further 2500 tonnes at the depot at Brodick, in Arran.There are around 500 grit bins and 15 larger community bins that people can collect salt from for personal use on roads, driveways or footpaths.

It is also stored at strategic points throughout the area for use by residents.Weather stations on the A760 at Catburn, between Largs and Kilbirnie, and the String Road on Arran are fitted with cameras, which will assist Winter Controllers and Supervisors in monitoring weather conditions.Weather forecasts are relayed three times a day – morning, noon and night – to the roads team who use the information to determine whether or not a snow or ice alert is issued.A specialist detailed roads weather forecast is provided in collaboration with 12 other local authorities across the southwest of Scotland.