Meet Lancashire's 10 new gritters with pun-tastic names like Taylor Drift and Gritzilla
Lancashire’s fleet of gritters has some cool new recruits - and their names are as creative as ever.
Ten new vehicles have joined the county’s ice-fighting fleet ahead of winter, and residents were invited to come up with names through Lancashire County Council’s annual Name-a-Gritter competition.
The winning entries - inspired by pop stars, films, and a sprinkle of humour – are: Ctrl-Salt-Delete, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Gritzilla, I Skid You Not, Professor Dumblethaw, Ready Salted, SnOasis, Taylor Drift, The Greatest Snowman and Walter the Salter.
They will now join Lancashire’s 45-strong frontline gritting team, which is capable of treating 1,700 miles of priority routes – the most vital for keeping the county moving – within four hours whenever freezing weather is forecast.
County Councillor Warren Goldsworthy, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Once again people in Lancashire have shown their boundless creativity and come up with some brilliant names for our new gritters.
“We had a great response to the competition – thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a suggestion.
“I look forward to seeing these new personalities helping to keep our roads safe as the weather turns colder.
The new vehicles feature smart technology that automatically controls where and how much grit is spread, ensuring salt is used efficiently and roads are treated consistently.
This week also marks the launch of the county council’s Winter Campaign, which provides advice on staying warm, safe, and well during the colder months.
Matt Townsend, director of highways and transport, added: “Our highways team is as well prepared as they can be for the winter but there are limits to our resources.
“I'd ask everyone to please think about what you need to do to make sure you're also able to cope if we get a prolonged spell of severe weather.
"It may be simply checking you've got some basics such as an ice scraper, sunglasses and warm clothing in your car, or buying grit for the paths around your property.
For travel updates and winter advice, visit lancashire.gov.uk/winter.