Traffic Incident Management

Traffic incident management (TIM) consists of a planned and coordinated multi-disciplinary process to detect, respond to, and clear traffic incidents and restore traffic flow as safely and quickly as possible. Applied effectively, TIM reduces the duration and impacts of traffic incidents and improves the safety of motorists, crash victims and emergency responders.

There are numerous benefits to integrating TIM into the transportation planning process at a State or regional level using an objectives-driven, performance-based approach. Transportation planners and traffic incident management professionals are two groups of professionals who traditionally have had little interaction, but there are real and sustainable benefits for incident responders, planners, and the traveling public to be gained when the connection is made. Those benefits start with safer, more efficient transportation system performance for the traveling public. With greater regional support, incidents can be cleared safely in less time, minimizing congestion and the impacts of traffic incidents on overall mobility and safety.

A greater connection between TIM and planning helps to create transportation plans and programs that support regional TIM programs through TIM-focused objectives, performance measures, and TIM strategies and projects. Regional TIM programs are strengthened, well-supported, and elevated as a crucial, lower-cost strategy for reliability, safety, and mobility.