Fresh thinking needed for dealing with snow and ice

It happens every year. The big freeze and the snow blizzards arrive and everything pretty much comes to a standstill in the UK.

But why should it be that way? Countries in northern Europe, for example, get much more snow and ice than we do, but they still manage to keep roads open and the wheels of industry turning.

One train of thought is that countries which do get a lot of snow and ice have both the equipment and the knowledge to deal effectively with wintry conditions.

Local authorities in the UK, who are responsible for gritting and salting public roads and pavements, are reluctant to splash cash on dedicated snow and ice clearing machinery.

And in this age of austerity it’s going to be tough for them to justify spending lots of money on equipment that might only be used a couple of weeks every year.

Apart from modifying current local authority vehicles, such as tractors, to double-up as snow clearing vehicles, it’s perhaps time for individuals to get their shovels out and give the local authorities a helping hand.

In parts of the United States, the public is expected to keep the streets clear of snow. In various cities residents are given free grit and snow must be removed from pavements outside homes within a certain time frame.

Is this such a bad idea? There are always complaints these days that communities lack cohesion. Well, clearing our own snow would be one way of making an effort to help the community.