ADVICE FOR WINTER DRIVING

If the weather is bad and the roads are icy then do not drive unless it is essential. If you do need to travel, make sure you follow the East Sussex Highways, Winter Essentials guide.

For more information on services that may be affected by winter weather visit eastsussexhighways.com/winter

• Check the weather forecast • Check your route is clear via @esccroads or Keep local radio stations up-to-date • Don’t travel in poor conditions unless it’s essential

• Check the tread of your tyres Prepare your • Check windscreen wipers and washers car before the • Make sure you have de-icer and a scraper in winter comes your car

• Reduce your speed WINTER ESSENTIALS • Charge your mobile phone before setting off don’t drive without them Be safe • Keep water, food, a blanket and sturdy shoes in your car on the road • Do not drive through flood water – it may be FOLLOW @esccroads deeper than you think CALL 0345 60 80 193 VISIT eastsussexhighways.com • Report any hazards, fallen trees or flooded roads to us via eastsussexhighways.com/ report-a-problem What you can • Clear the pavement of snow and ice do to help outside of your house carefully (and your neighbours!) to make it safer for everyone • Don’t use hot water to melt ice on pavements! It will refreeze and be dangerous on the path. Sep 18 14-15 203 WHICH ROADS DO WE GRIT?

When icy conditions are forecast, we grit all primary routes first. These are the busiest roads and include the A †‡ eastsussex.gov.uk/winter major A, B and about 75% of C roads.

B ˆˆ‰ Forest Row Secondary gritting routes are an A additional 209 miles of roads which B ‰ † Crowborough Wadhurst B ˆ‰‰ B ‰‹Œ are only gritted in snowy or very severe A ŒŽ KEY B ‰ŠŠ Ticehurst winter weather. primary route

secondary route A A ˆ trunk roads (treated Mayfield

A † A †Ž B ‡‡ by Highways Agency) Northiam

A Œ B ‰‹

Buxted A †Œ Robertsbridge A †‹ A †Ž

Heathfield Broad Oak B ˆ†Ž Rye Foreign A Œ Uckfield Rye Newick

A ˆ‰‰ Camber B ‰Š† B ‰‹Š A Winchelsea A ŽŠ

Ditchling Battle A ˆ Westfield A Œˆ A ˆ‰‰ A †

Herstmonceux Ninfield Ringmer A A †Š Lewes Hailsham Hastings DECIDING A Œ Bexhill We give priority to the C roads leading to: Kingston A A ŽŠ WHEN TO GRIT

• Hospitals, fire, ambulance and police stations; A † A Œ A Œ • bus and railway stations; Pevensey Bay • most main shopping areas and schools; and Rain or snow can wash salt Newhaven Alfriston • difficult sites (very steep hills etc). away, so we try to grit after We use the latest weather rain has passed but before

Gritters follow detailed, planned routes. Peacehaven forecasting technology the road surface freezes. Sometimes a gritter may be moving but not Eastbourne to decide when we need putting down any salt because: A ŽŠ to grit the roads. This Gritting decisions are Seaford East Dean forecast can often be made at least once a day, • it is travelling to the start of the route; & Friston different to the television sometimes more in colder • in order to complete its route, it has to travel along weather forecast. Gritters weather. roads which are not part of that route; or go out before frost and • it has finished and is returning to the depot. ice are formed by freezing You can see gritting temperatures. Where decisions by following our possible, we try to avoid esccroads Twitter feed, the morning and evening @esccroads rush hours.