Somerset Council’s 2 new gritters have had their names chosen following a competition involving schools and the Somerset public.

The gritters, soon to join the Council’s winter fleet are to be named Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury.

Somerset Council is working with new highways contractor Kier to help make roads safer this winter and the gritter naming competition is a fantastic opportunity to involve the community and raise awareness about the importance of road safety during the winter months.

A long list of 30 was whittled down to a shortlist of 6 and the public voted on their favourite 2.

Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury, named by Brymore Academy and West Pennard C of E School respectively were the winners.

The schools will receive a visit from the gritter and have the honour of seeing the name embellished on the vehicle.

Gritting is important during icy months as it helps keep roads safe and reduces weather-related disruptions, whether you’re heading to school, work, or appointments.

This year, over 900km of gritting routes are set to be treated. The Council has stockpiled over 6,400 tonnes of salt, with over 800 grit bins filled across the region.  

Road gritting involves spreading rock salt on roads to prevent ice and snow build up, giving car tyres better grip. With temperatures falling, gritting teams will soon be undergoing trial runs – and will grit the roads when the weather is set to fall below 0.5°C.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste, said:

Thank you to everyone who took part, the schools for their amazing and creative name suggestions and the public for helping chose the winning names. The names add flare and personality to our gritters.

We can’t wait to see Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Spready Mercury on the road this winter, keep an eye out for them on your travels.

If you see road gritters out, then be patient and be safe. You can get updates about when we are gritting roads on @TravelSomerset on Facebook and X. 

Follow @TravelSomerset on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for live travel updates, roadworks and other highways news.

Allan Rigby, general manager at Kier, added:

It has been wonderful that during the first year of Kier delivering on the contract that we have engaged with the community on this. We hope children across the county wave at our drivers as they undertake the important role of making the roads safer.

Our new road gritters will soon be embellished with their names and out on the road once surface temperatures reach freezing, keep an eye out for them.