Road safety watchdogs have welcomed a Council initiative which should help reduce the number of casualties as a result of winter weather.

West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership is backing Bradford Council's new online winter maintenance service which allows residents to request gritters in their areas.

As well as filling in an online form for a visit from one of the Council's 31 gritter trucks, people will be able to see information and advice, including weather forecasts.

Philip Gwynne, of the West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: "Of course we appreciate any effort made to reduce accidents and deaths on the roads.

"This is a useful service and an important one. It empowers people so they can request the local authority consider their road for gritting.

"It is difficult to say how many accidents are caused as a result of ice - it depends on things like road conditions. But everyone knows ice is dangerous, particularly black ice, because you can't see it. We would caution motorists out and about over Christmas and New Year to slow down, drive carefully and allow yourself longer for journeys."

The gritting service is categorised in three ways: l precautionary - covers approximately 710 miles, about 69 per cent of the adopted highway network. It covers main roads and roads with heavy traffic, roads connecting isolated communities, bus routes, access to fire, police and ambulance stations and hospitals and known trouble spots.

l high level - part of the precautionary network above 500 feet, Bradford ring road, for example.

l rapid response - routes which are the basic minimum required to ensure essential transport links can continue safely.

Other than city centre routes, footways are not routinely gritted. In periods of persistent cold or icy weather, mini-gritters are deployed in town and city centres and then moved out to footways on the main arterial roads and village centres. Unadopted roads will not be treated.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the Council's executive member for environment and culture, said: "This addition to the Council's online services provides residents with useful information. It is another addition to a number of services and facilities that can be accessed through the Council website."

Log on to www.bradford. gov.uk/winter for more information or call (01274) 431000 for details about winter maintenance and gritting.