Traffic Incident Management Challenges

Department of Transportation, Mar 14, 2007

Stalled vehicles, traffic stops, highway debris, spilled loads, and crashes are examples of traffic incidents that account for about one-third of all delay due to traffic congestion on our nation's highways. Along with weather, construction, and special events, these non-recurring incidents are responsible for nearly 60 percent of delay caused by traffic congestion.

Traffic congestion caused by incidents affects the safety and mobility of all travelers. Major incidents can affect thousands of vehicles in an entire highway corridor or across a major portion of an urban area. Traffic incidents cause secondary incidents that also require response from the same agencies already engaged in the primary incident. Secondary incidents are not just crashes but also include engine stalls, overheating, and running out of fuel. Approximately 20 percent of all incidents are secondary incidents.

Traffic incidents are primarily public safety events. Public safety agencies, such as law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), and other emergency management agencies are first to respond to traffic incidents. Transportation agencies usually play a secondary, but vital, support role. Private sector entities are also involved. The two most common are the towing and recovery industry and hazardous materials contractors. News and traffic reporting media will also be involved but may not be on-scene. Actually, the list of partners at a major incident can be very long and might also include environmental, health, emergency management, and agriculture agencies.