How to check if your road is going to be gritted

How to check if your road is going to be gritted

The freezing temperatures and turbulent weather are expected to last into the weekend, leaving many people wondering if it is safe to travel.

Connor Parker

Thu, January 8, 2026 at 7:38 PM UTC

4 min read

Gritters have been out in recent days after the UK was blasted by a cold snap. (PA)

Storm Goretti is expected to cause widespread disruption as it hits the UK, with warnings for high winds as well as heavy snow and rain.

Numerous weather warnings have been issued up and down the country, including a rare red warning for Thursday (8 January) that covers Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, with the Met Office warning strong winds could pose a danger to life.

The freezing temperatures and turbulent weather are expected to last into the weekend, leaving many people wondering if it is safe to travel.

Councils have been out gritting their roads to combat the icy conditions, but local authorities in the UK tend to prioritise major roads, leaving most residential streets at risk of slippery conditions.

It may be all well and good if the main through road at the bottom of your estate is clear, but if you can't get your car the quarter of a mile necessary down your road, you may not think the gritters are much use.

Many residents think their councils do not do enough to grit their roads. (PA)

Here, Yahoo News has looks at how councils decide which roads to grit, and if you can check where has been gritted and where has not.

How to check if your road is going to be gritted

The answer to this depends heavily on where you live in the country.

The UK government maintains a website that lets you check where in your postcode is being gritted.

However, after entering a postcode, the government's website takes you to your local authority's website - and different councils provide different amounts of information about what is being gritted.

The government can direct you to which website where you need to view information about your local gritting operation. (UK Government)

For example, if you enter a postcode that comes under Derby City Council's authority, you will be presented with a website about where they grit, and you can click through to find a detailed map of where exactly their gritting lorries will visit.

Other councils like Sheffield, Dorset, Essex and Lincolnshire provide similar information and maps.

But local authorities like Kirklees and Calderdale do not provide this level of information.

If your local authority does not provide detailed information on its website, it does not mean it is not available elsewhere.

You can always check the social media pages of your councils or local councillors to see if they have provided any information.

The interactive map by Derby City Council showing where they plan to grit. (Derby City Council)

Are fewer roads being gritted?

Cash-strapped councils are looking to make savings wherever they can, but cuts to gritting routes are often hotly contested by constituents.

The Unison trade union called out cuts to gritting services in October, when they called for more funding to plug black holes in council finances.

Local authorities under the Highways Act have a legal duty to "so far as is reasonably practicable" ensure "that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice".

The Traffic Management Act also "requires authorities to do all that is reasonably practicable to manage the network effectively to keep traffic moving".

This includes developing plans for unplanned events like "unforeseen weather conditions".

Some councils produce maps showing their gritting routes. (PA)

How councils interpret their mandate to ensure roads are clear as far as is "reasonably practicable" is up to them.

There are over 225,000 miles worth of road in the UK, and to grit every single one during winter would cost hundreds of millions a year.

Most councils have settled on ensuring their main roads are clear, with some designating secondary roads that they will clear if they can.

Gritting lorries are large and spread their grit widely, meaning they can be impractical on many of the thin, windy roads that litter the UK.

Some councils provide grit bins which they refill on residential streets so local people can grit the roads when necessary.

Although councils have a duty to ensure their roads are gritted, many residents grumble they don't do enough.

In 2024, Calderdale Council was forced to back down when it proposed cuts to its winter gritting plans.

Many councils offer grit bins for residents to grit their roads. (PA)

They said their plan would have saved £300,000 a year, but residents and businesses claimed it would leave them cut off.

Dudley Council is under pressure to reverse its plan to cut almost half of its grit bins and increase the time between refills after Storm Goretti created icy conditions for many.

Safecote, a business that helps councils deal with winter, said it had helped South Lanarkshire and Carmarthenshire reduce their routes from 23 to 20 and saved £250,000.

However, other councils have rebuffed criticism from their residents regarding their gritting operations.

Liverpool City Council shared an extensive message on X about their gritting operation after residents complained that not enough roads had been gritted.

Other councils have also made significant efforts to promote their multi-million-pound investments in plans to tackle snowy and icy weather in recent years.

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