North Carolina Department of Transportation

(DOT)

In Highway Scene Management

North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT)

• If requested, provide temporary short-term traffic control• Analysis of road or structure damage affecting public safety• Provide detour and alternate route information• Activate or provide concurrence for Quick Clearance • Inform the motoring public

North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT)• Assist with resources• Coordinate to clear roadway• Provide scene management information to DOT Transp. Mgt. Centers• Liaise with other DOT resources

North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT)• If incident is in a patrol area, IMAP can:• Provide temporary short-term traffic control• Move disabled vehicles to shoulder• Activate or provide concurrence for Quick

Clearance• Statewide Transportation Operations Center

(STOC) can also do this via phone• Provide scene management information to

DOT Transp. Mgt. Centers

NOTE: IMAP services are not in every county. In counties without IMAP, NCDOT Traffic Maintenance and Traffic Services.

Summary

• NCDOT supports a safe and efficient roadway system• Requires quickly and safely clearing traffic incidents• First Responders’ safety comes first• Focus is on:

• Safe temporary traffic control• Roadway clearance• Traveler information to motorists• Quick Clearance

NCDOT personnel on-scene

On-Scene Incident Management (Cont’d.)

On-Scene Incident Management (Cont’d.)

Backed-up traffic is called a queue.

Secondary incidents are caused by people reacting to the primary incident:

Multiple rear-end collisions(domino effect)often very severeIf tractor-trailer involvedextremely dangerousfatalities can result

On-Scene Incident Management (cont’d.)

• Avoidance of the incident can crowd side streets and parallel routes

Quick Clearance Law of North CarolinaAccording to G.S. 20-161: [revised September 2015]

“any investigating law enforcement officer, with the concurrence of NCDOT, or the NCDOT with the concurrence of an investigating officer, may immediately remove or have removed from the State Highway System any wrecked, abandoned, disabled, unattended, burned, or partially dismantled vehicle, cargo or personal property interfering with the regular flow of traffic or which otherwise constitutes a hazard. In the event, of a motor vehicle crash involving serious personal injury or death, no removal shall occur until the investigating law enforcement officer determines that adequate information has been obtained for preparation of a crash report. No state or local law enforcement officer, Department of Transportation employee, or person or firm contracting or consulting or assisting in the removal or disposition of any such vehicle, cargo, or other personal property shall be held liable for any damage or economic injury related to carrying out or enforcing the provisions of this section.”

Legal Aspects of

Quick Clearance Law (Cont’d.)• Liability protection effective ONLY with concurrence

from NCDOT.• Concurrence can be provided by NCDOT representative

on the scene, in a Transportation Management Center (TMC) or Statewide Transportation Operations Center (STOC)• TMC located in Charlotte• STOC located in Raleigh

• In US many lawsuits related to Chapters 6 and 6I of the Manual Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)• Successful legal challenges due in part to failure to

follow proper procedures