Technology set to revolutionise road gritting in the South East

Video report by Glen Thompsett 

Technology is set to revolutionise the way roads are gritted in Kent, as new systems will 'optimise' which routes are prioritised.

Kent County Council has been working throughout the summer to develop what it calls a 'smarter way' of gritting the county's roads.

Each year it grits the primary roads, which are the most used, to allow people living and working Kent to get where they need to be.

Now the council says gritting will be 'optimised' to ensure journeys can be made safely, whatever the weather.

Watch: Carol Valentine, KCC, explains how the authority keeps roads clear.

The authority has 58 gritting routes, which are assigned to drivers by a piece of kit in a gritting lorry.

It enables staff to be flexible, so that routes which are most in need of gritting can be driven by any available driver.

As winter gets closer, gritting teams from across the county will be going out on 'parades', to familiarise themselves with the routes they will drive.