IN-TIMEINdiana’s – Traffic

Incident Management

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Traffic Incidents Increase Congestion

Increase the risk of secondary incidents

Increase the risk of responders

Why should we address the impacts of Traffic Incidents?

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Dangerous Environment Since 2003, 59 law enforcement,

12 fire/rescue, and 54 maintenance personnel have died after being struck by vehicles along

the highway. (As of 8 Dec 2008, USDOT/FHWA TIM Quick Clearance review)

INDOT had a worker killed on I-64 in 2009

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What is Traffic Incident Management (TIM)?

The organized cooperative effort of multiple agencies to detect & verify incidentsrespond to & manage the scenemanage trafficprovide traveler informationclear the incident

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Congestion Impact

For every minute that a freeway travel lane is blocked during a peak travel period, four minutes of travel delay results after the incident is cleared.

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Secondary Incident is: an incident that occurs as a direct or

indirect result of a previous incident. An incident occurring in the queue expanding from an initial incident, of any kind. These sometimes lead to additional incidents, but all are referred to as “secondary.”

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Safety Impact Crashes that result from other incidents

(secondary) are estimated to be 20% of all crashes.

Chances of a Secondary Crash increase by 2.8% for each minute the primary incident is not cleared.

These Secondary Crashes are estimated to cause 18% of deaths on freeways.

In 2008 21% of Indiana’s crashes showed vehicles “Slowed or stopped in traffic”, secondary crashes!

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Indiana’s Effort Quick Clearance Working Group

Formed January 2008Addressing a prioritized list of Quick Clearance TopicsMultidisciplinary approach

○ Agency Head buy-in

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Indiana’s Effort In-TIME January 2009

Multi-agency involvementMulti-lateral agreements

○ Policy best practices○ Training- multi discipline○ Legislative action-

Hold HarmlessAbandoned vehicleMove it law-

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Purpose for IN-TIME

To have traffic incident responders, from all disciplines, follow agreed-upon multi-lateral policies and procedures while being focused on the “Open Roads Philosophy”!

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What is the “Open Roads Philosophy?

is having all First Responders, after ensuring their own personal safety and the safety and security of any incident victims, will have as their top priority reducing congestion and the higher risks of secondary incidents for public/motorist safety.

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Working Together

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to make travel in Indiana safer and more efficient!

Transportation

Law Enforcement

Fire/EMS

TowingRecoveryCleanup

CoronerInsurance

Incidents are classified by expected duration:

Minor- less than 30 minutes

Intermediate- 30 -90 minutes

Major- over 90 minutes

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1300   BARRICADED SUBJECT D51    Pendleton Post advised that Hamilton Co. is dealing with a barricaded subject on I-69 @ the 5mm, both north and southbound lanes are currently closed.  M/Trp. Ed Davis, ISP negotiator, is enroute to offer assistance.  Plw

1351   BARRICADED SUBJECT UPDATE D51          Subject is in custody and interstate has been reopened.  plw

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What can WE do? Establish Unified Incident Command Don’t remove vehicles or debris that is off the travel

portion of the roadway until after peak traffic times and/or after inclement weather has subsided

Only call for a Crash Reconstructionist when needed

Speed up crash investigations with technologyPhotogrammetry

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Photogrammetry Statistics 43  uses of IN-TIME Crash Photogrammetry

6 Crime Scenes were measured using Photogrammetry (2 Police Action Shootings on roadways, 1 Homicide, 1 House Fire, 1 Hit and Run, 1 pursuit)

44 Minutes - average time to measure using Photogrammetry for roadway scenes only (ROAD CLOSED SCENES)

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2 Hours 24 Minutes : Average Estimated Measurement Time NOT using Photogrammetry (ROAD CLOSED SCENES) Total Station

1 Hour 39 Minutes: Time SAVED PER ROAD CLOSING SCENE using Photogrammetry.  

99 minutes times 43= 4059 minutes

4059 minutes = (67.6 hours) saved from these 43 crashes

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4059 minutes times 4 (time needed to get traffic back to normal flow) = 16236 minutes

(270.6 hours) time saved that the general public would have been sitting in our working their way through traffic before the traffic lanes were back to normal traffic flow

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What can WE do?

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Responders arriving at a traffic incident should, within minutes of arrival on-scene, estimate the magnitude of the traffic incident, the expected time duration of the traffic incident, and the expected queue length, and then set up the appropriate temporary traffic controls for these estimates.

What can WE do? consider the potential of secondary impacts away

from the incident scene

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ISP Secondary Crash Reduction Policy

As soon as practical following assignment of a crash investigation by Indiana State Police personnel, on scene unit(s) will make an assessment of the potential for a significant traffic back-up and the projected duration of the back-up.

A patrol unit (preferably marked) will be assigned to maintain a position (out of the traveled portion of the roadway, if possible) near the rearmost portion of the back-up.

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ISP Secondary Crash Reduction Policy

This unit shall activate all emergency lighting to serve as a warning to approaching motorists of stopped traffic on the roadway ahead.

This unit will move forwards and backwards, as the back-up dictates, to maintain approximately a 200 to 300 yard distance behind the rearmost vehicle.

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ISP Secondary Crash Reduction Policy

The overall objective of this policy is to provide a rolling warning to motorists approaching a traffic back-up that less than normal driving conditions lay just ahead.

Nothing we do as Law Enforcement Officers is more important than the preservation of life for those living in and/or traveling through our state..

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What can WE do? Move commercial vehicles or trailers out of travel

lanes for recovery after peak traffic timesHold Harmless Law

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Immunity

Qualified immunity granted to government employees for acts requiring discretion.Decision to remove (or order removed)

a vehicle is one such discretionary decision.

May 2009

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Blok-Buster Activation 8-21-07WB 512 to SB I-5

Cargo: 38,000 lbs Empty Wine BottlesBill’s and Gene’s Towing (Partnership)

(Structural integrity of trailer compromised, load had to be unloaded manually)

Start of incident to all lanes open = 2 hrs, 13 min Recovery time (all lanes open): 37 minutes

Unload trailer: 4 ½ hoursTotal incident time: 7 hrs, 9 min

Estimated Lane Blockage time saved: 4.5 to 5 hours

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Blok-Buster Activation 8-21-07WB 512 to SB I-5

Two 50 ton S1 Rotators were able To relocate the wreckage off the roadway

In 37 minutes

IC 9-22-1-32Sec. 32. The following are not liable for loss or damage to a

vehicle or parts occurring during the removal or storage of a vehicle or parts under this chapter:        (1) A person who owns, leases, or occupies property from which an abandoned vehicle or its contents or parts are removed.        (2) A public agency.        (3) A towing service.        (4) An automobile scrap yard.        (5) A storage yard.         (6) An agent of a person or entity listed in subdivisions (1) through (5).

As amended by HEA 1650, effective 7-1-2009May 2009

What can WE do? direct the responders at the scene to deploy

equipment, personnel, and emergency lighting in a manner that will result in the least restriction of traffic movement

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What can WE do? Tell the recovery folks what you have, don’t tell

them what to bring Initiate Pre-Incident Planning

Pre-plan diversion routesMeet with all agencies involved to review rolesTrain in proper placement of response vehiclesTrain in temporary traffic control around a sceneHave INDOT equipment on hand for traffic

control

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What can WE do? Respect and understand the mission of other

responder agenciesEach agency has a specific role and responsibility

at an incident and policies that guide them. All agencies should understand the importance of cooperation and coordination with all agencies involved in the incident resolution.

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Appropriate responses

 Avoid Under responding

Avoid Over responding

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Rush Hour/Inclement Weather If a vehicle or debris is off the roadway and

shoulder it is essential that Incident Command take all reasonable countermeasures to eliminate or reduce further traffic delays and determine an appropriate and safe time for removal at a later time.

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First Responder Lighting

The use of First Responder vehicle lighting is essential especially in the initial stages of an incident. However, drivers may become confused or distracted by excessive amounts of flashing lights.

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First Responder Lighting

Law enforcement vehicles should be first in sight to drivers in order to provide red/blue lights at eye-level.

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Traffic Management

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This could happen in your area!

Traffic Management

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IN-TIME Guidelines Safety Benchmarks First Responder Vehicle Benchmarks Incident Command Benchmarks First Responder Lighting Benchmarks Rush Hour / Inclement Weather Benchmark Traffic Management Benchmark Definitions

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Questions?

http://indianatime.org

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IN-TIMEINdiana’s – Traffic

Incident Management

Effort71