The emergency services and Durham County Council are getting together behind a drive to promote road safety, in the light of further weather warnings predicting more black ice.

The Council’s Strategic Highways Manager Dave Wilcox explains, “Together with the police, fire and rescue and ambulance services we are issuing a warning to motorists in the county to assume ice, particularly black ice, will continue to be a significant issue over the coming weeks.

“The restrictions on salt supply continue to dictate how much of the highways network can be routinely salted, and, until that situation changes, we will only be able to pre salt category A and B roads around the county.

“Even so, I would ask motorists to take extra care, even on the pre salted network, as road temperatures and traffic volume can dictate how successful salting is in these conditions.”

Inspector Ken Cook, Head of Strategic Road Policing for Durham Constabulary, says he hopes the joint approach will mean less accidents and injuries, “When a road surface is covered with snow it is easy to see the hazard, but black ice is much more dangerous.

“By its nature it is not easy to see and it can have a devastating impact.

“I would ask all motorists, regardless of whether they can see a problem on the road surface, to assume the worst.

“Please, drive appropriately and according to the conditions, keep your speed down and leave a bigger gap between you and the vehicle in front. Remember, the salted network has been reduced and just because you can’t see any ice doesn’t mean it isn’t there.