VIDEO: Is your car ready for winter on Peterborough's roads as ice and snow warning is issued?

As the Met Office issues a severe weather warning for snow and ice in the East of England today and tomorrow, Peterborough City Council is urging motorists to get ready for winter in an effort to reduce the number of collisions on city roads.
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Peterborough Highways Services has stockpiled 3,500 tonnes of salt and cleansed 29,000 gullies in an effort to keep roads safe when freezing temperatures hit.

The council’s fleet of gritting lorries are now on standby across the city to treat almost half of the network including all major A and B roads, along with all council car parks in what could be a 24/7 operation.

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Now they are urging motorists to also take action to reduce their risk of a collision on the roads.

A video has been launched to help motorists prepare alongside a social media campaign which will be launched when temperatures start to dip.

Andy Tatt, head of Peterborough Highway Services, a partnership between Peterborough City Council and Skanska, said: “We are well prepared for the winter months, but it’s still important that motorists prepare their vehicles for winter and drive according to the weather conditions, allowing for extra time, even if roads have been gritted.”

As well as lowering speeds and taking more care there are simple things that motorists in the city can do to prepare their vehicles for the winter weather.

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Clair George from the city council’s prevention and enforcement service gave the following tips for motorists:

* Check your oil

* Make sure windscreen wipers are in good working order

* Keep water levels topped up

* Make sure lights are clean and all bulbs, including your fog lights work

* Check your tyres pressure

* Ensure tyres have the legal amount of tread, it can take twice as long to stop when roads are wet and up to 10 times longer in icy conditions

* Ensure you have sufficient fuel for your journey if conditions worsen

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Councillor Peter Hiller, cabinet member for growth, planning, housing and economic development, said: “A great deal of hard work goes on all year round to make sure that our roads are safe when we are faced with adverse weather conditions.

“All the preparation carried out by Peterborough Highways Services means that when wintry hazards do arrive we can react quickly and ensure vehicle drivers and residents can use our roads safely and avoid delays.”