COLD temperatures are affecting most routes in the Scottish Borders this morning Friday November 10 203.

BEAR Scotland has had 13 gritters operating overnight in the south east of the country.

And the gritters are still out monitoring conditions.

Traffic Scotland has issued the following advice:

 

 

““During winter months, there is a higher chance of frost. It's dangerous to drive without full visibility through your vehicle's windows.

“Keep de-icer spray handy to clear your windows quickly. 

“Always have a torch and spare batteries when you travel in the winter.

“A high visibility jacket is useful so other road users can see you when you are out of your vehicle. 

“Having warm clothes and blankets in your vehicle will be useful if you break down as temperatures can drop quickly and you may be stranded for some time.”

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According to the AA, when it's cold and there's a risk of ice:

If it's slippery, do everything slowly as things can go wrong very quickly.

Avoid harsh braking and acceleration or aggressive steering; reduce your speed smoothly and use brakes gently.

If you do hit black ice, keep calm and avoid sudden or aggressive manoeuvres – don’t hit the brakes but lift of the accelerator fully and try to keep the steering straight, allowing the car to pass over the ice.

 

 

Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland’s South East operating Company Representative, said: “Our team will be working tirelessly throughout the winter period to keep Scotland’s key routes operating.

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“Our main priority is always to ensure roads are as safe as possible for motorists to travel on, and our dedicated team will be doing all they can in the months ahead to make that happen.

“It’s important that road users play their part, too. Now is the time to ensure vehicles are well maintained. And as we head into winter, it’s essential that anyone travelling pays close attention to media coverage and weather forecasts to allow for sufficient planning and time for their journeys.”

Members of the public can live track gritters on the trunk road network using Transport Scotland’s online ‘trunk road gritter tracker’. It displays the current location of gritters and a trail with an age range for where gritters have previously passed along trunk routes across Scotland.