Tragic accident prompts winter revamp

05 September 2007

A Welsh council has approved recommendations to revamp its winter service following a tragic accident in which four cyclists were killed by an out-of-control car in January 2006.

The incident on 6 January, in which a car driven by Robert Harris skidded out of control on an unsalted, icy road (Surveyor 28 June 2007), attracted national interest and was subjected to a detailed inquest held in June 2007.

The jury found Conwy Borough Council guilty of ‘a serious lack of communication’ with Denbighshire County Council, and between Conwy’s duty officer and his field staff. The council was also criticised for a ‘lack of a proactive approach’ to its legal responsibilities, particularly its out-of-hours service.

Coroner John Hughes then wrote a letter to Conwy urging it to improve communications between the ‘duty engineer and his staff who are out gritting’.

The council’s environment scrutiny committee has now approved proposals to improve its winter service, including sharing with the police colour coded maps which highlight the priority pre-salting routes.

‘The police (and neighbouring authorities) will know in advance as to which routes will receive treatment, together with the timing of such treatments.’

It has also been agreed to allocate a supervisor or highway inspector to manage the operation to improve communications between duty officers and salting operatives. They would be responsible for delivery of the service and keeping police informed of developments.

Improvements have already been made to the winter maintenance service: salter drivers have received further training, the spreader fleet has been fitted with speed restrictors and duty officers were last winter issued Blackberry hand-held computers to allow them to receive weather forecasts, updates and temperature graphs. Committee members requested that the cost of installing warning signs be investigated.

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Tragic accident prompts winter revamp

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