Bringing Traffic Incident Management to Local Roads

Federal Highway Administration2021PDFBriefUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationJodoin, PaulAustrich, JamesTebo, JosephUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUnited StatesIncident managementTraffic incidentsLocal transportationTransportation operationsFHWA-HOP-21-036Traffic incident management (TIM) has proven to be an effective way to mitigate the risks associated with roadway incidents for response personnel, as well as drivers approaching the scenes. Effective TIM clears roadways faster, removes visual distractions more quickly, and ultimately restores commerce and mobility. The key concepts, principles, and strategies of TIM apply to anywhere an incident might occur. Next-Generation (NextGen) TIM advances the idea that managing roadway incidents is not just reserved for urban freeways during rush hour. TIM is an important part of daily roadway operations for all responder disciplines on all classifications of roadways, including rural roads, arterials, and local streets, as well as Federal lands and Tribal roadways.127