There can be no doubt that staff from the Department of Infrastructure work exceptionally hard to keep traffic flowing smoothly and safely during sub-zero temperatures of the kind experienced over recent days.
However, while the difficulties of getting gritting lorries to rural locations will be accepted, the department's policies in densely populated urban districts in general and in and around Belfast in particular have caused growing concern.
Roads which were previously salted in hilly areas in the north, south and west of the city have been left untreated, forcing schools to close and leaving some residents virtually trapped in their homes.
Ice on sloping routes plainly presents disproportionate risks for many motorists and pedestrians, and it surely time for this reality to be recognised in official guidelines.
