WITH last week's first snow of winter making driving conditions difficult, Hampshire Coun-ty Council is embarking on a project to make travel safer on the roads.

In an attempt to raise driver awareness of freezing temperatures over the next few months the authority has produced a leaflet, Winter Travel on Hampshire Roads, providing facts and figures about the 24 hour response that tries to keep the road network on the move as safely as possible.

The aim of the leaflet is to help people understand more about the services provided, in partnership with district, borough and parish councils, during frost, ice and snow.

Information on how the county council uses Met Office forecasts to decide where and when to salt, how salt works, why it might be less effective at times and how the council has to operate a priority system on the 6,000 mile road network to ensure that the most important roads are treated first. Also included is a list of simple steps a driver can take to ensure a safer journey, plus a list of contact numbers for area surveyors' offices where members of the public can report problem areas.

Leaflets are available in county council libraries, information centres and outlets across the county.

Further details on snow clearance and salting operations can be found on the county council's new highways maintenance web site address at www.hants.gov.uk/highways, including links to the Met Office and BBC Weather. In addition parish councils will be sent maps of all priority one and priority two salting routes in relevant parishes.

Chairman of the planning and transportation committee, Cllr Dudley Keep, said last year there had been misunderstandings about the county's salting plans. "We review those plans every year to adapt them if necessary.

"I hope the steps we are taking this year, particularly the improved information for parish councils, will help to improve the public's awareness and lead to a safer winter for all road users."