How To Be Careful On A Gritted Road

Gritted roads can be a nightmare for drivers. Not only do we often end up stuck behind a grit spreader, when we’re near one our car can be in danger of grit damage. With the icy weather showing no signs of stopping, it’s important that our roads stay gritted, and that as drivers we are able to drive accordingly. We’re recapping the top ways to avoid your car being damaged by grit, so that you can drive safely whatever the weather.

1. Keep your distance

This goes for any road when it’s cold really - in icy conditions you need to leave extra room, however if you’re on a gritted road this rule definitely applies. Grit flies off in all directions from any car that passes you, or that you pass. So, if you want to avoid being sprayed with grit from all angles then keep your distance on the road. This is especially true if you’re behind a gritter as they are laying the grit as they go along. The best way to avoid being hit by these spreaders is to keep a fair distance and then overtake as quickly as possible, in a safe manner.

2. Slow down

People think that because they’re on a gritted road they’re safe to drive however they like - this is not true. It’s essential that you slow down on a newly gritted road as the grit remains rather loose for a few hours which means that the road is harder to navigate and use your brakes on. Be sure to slow down and be more aware of other vehicles when driving on a gritted road as they can be a hazard.

3. Don’t dash out the way to avoid the gritter

Motorists have been urged to take extra precautions when considering whether to overtake gritters, as increasingly cars are causing accidents by trying to swerve to avoid being sprayed. We all want to avoid being sprayed, but there’s no point risking your life for the sake of a few chips on your car. Keep your distance and watch out for hazards ahead before overtaking a gritter, instead of using the hard shoulder or another lane.

4. Clean your car

Keeping your car clean with a good car shampoo and wax is a really good idea in colder months where grit may be an issue. Cleaning your car with wax will give it an extra layer of protection and will help avoid grit chips on icy, gritted roads. Keeping your car clean, polished and protected by wax will avoid chips and give you clearer visibility to act quickly on the ones that you do see.

The ultimate way to avoid grit chips is to drive cautiously, however if you’ve already encountered a grit chip, you can use a good touch up paint to repair your car in minutes. With perfect colour codes, you’ll never be caught out without the right colour match, so browse our collection of car paints today.

Alternatively, read more about what the UKs favourite car colour is and why!