Two state-of-the-art gritters have been bought to help keep traffic moving in Tayside this winter.
In January this year, roads in Dundee were plunged into chaos after the city was battered by blizzards.
Buses were cancelled, commuters stranded and dozens of vehicle were involve in crashes as drivers lost control on the slippery surface.
But the man in charge of keeping Tayside’s roads running has unveiled the £1.6 million armoury he hopes will help prevent more carnage this winter but that quick reactions are vital when the worst of the weather hits.
Dougie McKay, from Tayside Contracts, said: “Sometimes it can be impossible to predict what Mother Nature decides to do.
“All we can do in situations like that (in January) is react, but the majority of the time we are planning days in advance out at all hours, 24/7, making sure the roads and pavements are safe for everyone.”
Preparing for this winter, Mr McKay has brought in £296,000 of new machinery to add his fleet, including two new gritters that will help spread the city’s 10,000-tonne stockpile of salt.
From October 21 until March 31, 108 staff and their 44-vehicle fleet will keep a constant eye on the weather using radars, ice detection centres and accurate forecast predictors to ensure they know what is coming Tayside’s way.
There is also a reserve fleet of eight heavy-duty tractors on stand-by if heavy winter conditions should hit the city again.
Mr McKay added: “We have 15 mainline gritters for the roads and 21 mini ploughs for the city’s walkways. There are also eight operational lorries which are used to transport the demountable gritters to locations where they are required.
“In this fleet we have brought in two brand new gritters with built-in sat nav, GPS and automatic gritter dispensers. These are programmed to disperse the salt where it is most needed, making the dispersion of salt much more efficient.
““We have also brought in four brand new mini ploughs for pavements and the city’s walkways.”
Transport Scotland has also distributed 19 “super-gritters” to the north-east of Scotland for use.