Sat-navs to monitor West Sussex road gritting
Sat-nav technology is being used in West Sussex to combat poor road conditions during winter.
The county's new 26 gritters are fitted with global positioning satellite (GPS) devices to help monitor the salting of roads.
The devices, which are called Coldsnap, enable the gritters' routes to be recorded and reviewed.
West Sussex County Council has also stockpiled 10,000 tonnes of salt in preparation for winter weather.
Kunle Kolaru, from Balfour Beatty, which provides the gritters, said the devices are "used as a tracking system for the vehicles, recording their direction, speed and rate of salt spreading".
Mr Kolaru added that after each time the gritters go out, their routes will be checked by looking at the information recorded by the Coldsnap devices.
If a gritter's route becomes blocked, the tracking devices make it possible to change its route while it is out on the road.
Pieter Montyn, from West Sussex County Council, said the new £213,000 gritters were more efficient and use less salt.
East Sussex County Council has also stockpiled 10,000 tonnes of salt which is 2,000 tonnes more than in previous years.