Essex Highways has released seven tips for drivers to follow to stay safe this winter.

Essex Highways has been preparing for the winter highways season which officially begins on Monday, October 23.

They have 62 gritting lorries and two mini-gritters ready for the season – this means they can salt 2,000 miles of roads across Essex in less than three hours if needed.

Already 15,500 tonnes of salt is in stock and plans have been made to restock throughout the winter if needed.

Ian Grundy, Essex county councillor for highways, said: “We never know what the weather will throw at us, so we always prepare for the worst.

“Our gritter crews will be on-call 24/7 from October 23. Our teams use detailed forecast information from our eight weather stations across the county to help decide when and where to salt our county’s roads to ensure we keep Essex moving during the cold months.

“Last year our dedicated crews left festive and New Year’s celebrations to ensure more than 1.4 million Essex residents could get where they needed to be during cold snaps and for that I, and I’m sure our residents are, truly grateful.

“Salt bins for local residents to use have been topped up and salt is being delivered to town and parish councils through the Salt Bag Partnership.

“I would urge drivers to take note of the top tips above to help keep Essex moving safely this winter.”