As temperatures drop and gritters hit East Lancashire's roads, a local authority has issued advice to residents on keeping safe in the icy weather.
Since Wednesday, October 1, Blackburn with Darwen Council's highways team has been monitoring conditions from 15 weather stations across the county and eight sensors in the borough.
It receives bespoke Met Office forecasts for its gritting routes three times a day, which include everything from the road surface temperature, air temperature, humidity and an indication of rain.
With 340 miles of roads in the borough, the council is able to grit around 160 miles of it, focusing on key routes.
It has four operational gritters, with two others on standby if needed or in the event of breakdowns.
The authority has a team of decision makers, supervisors, drivers and reserve drivers on call 24/7.
There is a total of eight gritting routes that cover the borough, four primary and four secondary. It takes each vehicle approximately two hours per route.
National Highways is responsible for gritting the M65.
Town centre footways are treated with hand-propelled gritters in severe weather, such as snow.
There are more than 400 grit bins in the borough, costing £40,000 per year to keep grit full during the winter, and residents are reminded to be considerate of neighbours in their grit use.
Community grit squads of volunteers who grit their streets during icy conditions are provided with salt, a shovel and other appropriate equipment.
Cllr Quesir Mahmood, the council's highways boss, said: "We understand that when colder temperatures set in, it's a challenging time for all.
"It's impossible for us to treat every highway, so we must focus on priority routes.
"For those streets we can't treat, whether you have access to a grit bin or not, I would advise you to prepare suitably by buying your own grit.
"You could also consider forming a grit squad with neighbours, working together to make your area accessible."
His advice to residents includes:
Cllr Mahmood said: "If you see one of our gritters out and about, you can help by allowing it to pass when it's safe to do so.
"And remember to drive safely in treacherous weather and take longer than usual to make your journey."