I N -TIME INdiana’s – Traffic Incident Management Effort

1. IN-TIMEINdiana’s – Traffic Incident Management Effort

2. Traffic Incidents • Increase Congestion • Increase the risk of secondary incidents • Increase the risk of responders • Why should we address the impacts of Traffic Incidents?

3. 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 just this year

4. What is Traffic Incident Management (TIM)? • The organizedcooperative effort of multiple agencies to • detect & verify incidents • respond to & manage the scene • manage traffic • provide traveler information • clear the incident

5. 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.

6. 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 such as a car overheating and stalling because it is sitting idle in the queue rather than moving. These sometimes lead to additional incidents, but all are referred to as “secondary.”

7. 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!

8. 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”!

9. 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.

10. Indiana’s Effort • Quick Clearance Working Group • Formed January 2008 • Addressing a prioritized list of Quick Clearance Topics • Multidisciplinary approach • Agency Head buy-in

11. Indiana’s Effort • In-TIME January 2009 • Multi-agency involvement • Multi-lateral agreements • Policy best practices • Training- multi discipline • Legislative action- • Hold Harmless • Abandoned vehicle • Move it law-

12. Working Together to make travel in Indiana safer and more efficient! Law Enforcement Fire/EMS Transportation Coroner Insurance Towing Recovery Cleanup

13. Appropriate responses •  Avoid Under responding • Avoid Over responding

14. Incidents are classified by expected duration: Minor- less than 30 minutes Intermediate- 30 -90 minutes Major- over 90 minutes

30. 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

31. 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 technology • Photogrammetry

40. Photogrammetry Statistics • 29  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) • 42 Minutes - average time to measure using Photogrammetry for roadway scenes only (ROAD CLOSED SCENES)

41. 2 Hours 13 Minutes : Average Estimated Measurement Time NOT using Photogrammetry (ROAD CLOSED SCENES) Total Station • 1 Hour 31 Minutes: Time SAVED PER ROAD CLOSING SCENE using Photogrammetry.   • 91 minutes times 29= 2639 minutes • 2639 minutes = (43.9 hours) saved from these 29 crashes

42. 2639 minutes times 4 (time needed to get traffic back to normal flow) = 10556 minutes (175.9 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

43. What can WE do? • Move vehicles out of traffic lanes and maybe into a parking area to finish the investigation or wait for the wrecker • If you have too many personnel at the scene, have them go 10-8 and leave the scene • When vehicles are removed from the scene your job is not complete, you need to direct traffic to reduce the risk of a secondary crash (new ISP Policy)

44. 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. 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.

45. 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 Indiana State Police Officers is more important than the preservation of life for those living in and/or travelling through our state. Please ensure this directive is implemented in situations warranting such measures.

46. What can WE do? • Evaluate the scene to see what other responders will be needed and call them when appropriate • Move commercial vehicles or trailers out of travel lanes for recovery after peak traffic times • Hold Harmless Law

47. Immunity • Qualified immunity granted to government employees for acts requiring discretion. • Decision to remove (or order removed) a vehicle is one such discretionary decision.

48. Blok-Buster Activation 8-21-07 WB 512 to SB I-5 Cargo: 38,000 lbs Empty Wine Bottles Bill’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 hours Total incident time: 7 hrs, 9 min Estimated Lane Blockage time saved: 4.5 to 5 hours

49. Blok-Buster Activation 8-21-07 WB 512 to SB I-5 Two 50 ton S1 Rotators were able To relocate the wreckage off the roadway In 37 minutes

50. IC 9-22-1-32 Sec. 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 7-1-2009