New high-tech gritters will be in operation across the South West this winter, helping to keep road users on the move when severe weather hits.

Thirty-seven state-of-the art vehicles have joined National Highways’ winter fleet this year across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Bristol, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire as part of a national £44m investment.

Two were introduced in 2021/22 in the South West, taking the total of gritters operating across South West to 59.

Service Delivery Manager Julian Strong, who heads up National Highways’ winter operations in the region, said: “We are delighted the rollout of our new state-of-the-art gritting vehicles is complete, with every machine in position and ready for the winter season ahead to help keep our road users safer on the roads, whatever weather conditions we face. National Highways always strives to explore and embrace innovation to benefit our road users.

“These vehicles are environmentally friendly, have cutting-edge technological features and can treat road surfaces at a higher speed than older models.

“We now have a total of 59 vehicles ready to be deployed across South West and all of them will play their part in helping our autumn and winter operations team, including our drivers, to carry out their vital work over the next few months to treat the road surfaces whenever and wherever it is needed.”

The leading-edge Volvo Romaquip gritting vehicles are eco-friendly and will benefit road users with precision salt spreading and other technological advances including:

l Enhanced performance: The gritters can travel at a maximum speed of 50mph when salt spreading – 10mph faster than earlier vehicles – helping to keep traffic moving on the roads during periods of salt spreading.

l Eco-friendly: They are the cleanest and most efficient diesel heavy goods vehicles available in the UK, meeting Euro 6 requirements – the latest EU emission standards for heavy-duty CI (diesel) engines to reduce harmful exhaust emissions.

l Smart technology: On-board functions allow salting routes to be uploaded directly into the vehicle cockpit, assisting drivers with the latest information on where and when to salt.

l Precision spreading: Latest tech advances enable drivers to choose the most appropriate treatment in different road conditions.