• Reduce responder stuck-by incidents by X% from this year's level by 2015.
• Decrease responder traffic incidents going to or from incident scenes by X% from this year's level by 2015.
• Reduce the total number of responder fatalities for the next 5 years by X% of the previous 5-year total.
• Increase the percentage of accident victims who survive traffic incidents. 

• Number of traffic incident responder struck-by incidents per year.
• Number of responder incidents occurring while in transit to and from incidents scenes per year.
• Number of responder fatalities during incident response over 5 years.
• Percent of accident victim survival.

• Safety and incident reports from TIM responder agencies and partners including police, fire/EMS, towing, HAZMAT, DOTs, and others.
• Survival/fatality reports from hospitals and coroners.

The National Unified Goal recommends several strategies to improve responder safety.  They include:

• "Recommended practices for TIM responder safety and for traffic control at incident scenes should be developed and widely published, distributed, and adopted."
• "Driver training and awareness programs should teach drivers how to react to emergencies on the roadway in order to prevent secondary incidents, including traffic incident responder injuries and deaths."
• "TIM responders should receive multidisciplinary National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Traffic Incident Management training."

In addition, improve awareness and compliance with Move Over/Slow Down laws. Each State now has some type of Move Over/Slow Down law that requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching traffic incident response vehicles and traffic incident responders on the roadway.

M&O strategies that support quick incident detection and response by trained medical staff should improve survivability rates for motorists involved in incidents.

The focus of these objectives is on the reduction of secondary incidents, which are incidents that result from an initial incident.  Motorists moving through and upstream from a traffic incident site are vulnerable to secondary incidents caused by sudden slowing of traffic, lane changes, and the situation or movement of emergency vehicles.  A nationally accepted definition of secondary incidents does not yet exist.  

An initial definition from the 2009 Federal Highway Administration Focus States Initiative: Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures Final Report is "Unplanned incidents (starting at the time of detection) for which a response or intervention is taken, where a collision occurs either a) within the incident scene or b) within the queue (which could include the opposite direction) resulting from the original incidents."

• Reduce the number of secondary incidents occurring each year by X% over this year.
• Reduce the severity of secondary incidents such that the percentage of secondary incidents that are fatal or injury-causing decreases by X% within X years.

• Beginning with the time of detection of the primary incident, the number of incidents that occur either a) within the primary incident scene or b) within the queue—including a queue in the opposite direction—resulting from the original incident. (FHWA Focus State Initiative)

• Traffic incident logs, including the location and time reported, the queue length, incident clearance time, and incident normalization information
• Police accident database http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/reports/secondary-accidents.pdf

• Traffic management center, State/local DOTs, State and local police.

• Safety service patrols (provide traffic control at scene) http://www.safehighways.org/safe-highway-matters/spring-2010-3/secondary-incidents/
• Traveler information on alternate routes
• Policies and procedures for HAZMAT and fatal incidents that also include maintenance of traffic flow
• Strategies that reduce time to clear incident scene, including the use of CCTV cameras to support incident detection and verification, 511 systems, dynamic message signs, towing and recovery quick clearance incentives, incident command system, and others.

• Reduce mean incident notification time (defined as the time between the first agency's awareness of an incident and the time to notify all needed response agencies) by X percent over Y years.
• Decrease the average time for incident verification by X percent by year Y.
• Reduce the number of times that inaccurate incident location and type information are provided to response personnel during notification to X inaccurate notifications per month.

• Average incident notification time of necessary response agencies.
• Average time for incident verification (defined as the time between the first agency's awareness of an incident and the determination of the precise location and nature of the incident).
• Number of inaccurate notifications to response agencies per month regarding incident location and type.

• Time of awareness of incident by first agency.
• Time of notification to all necessary response agencies.
• Time of incident verification.
• Accuracy of incident notifications.  

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the scene.  The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders willing to support the objectives.

• Reduce mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene after notification by X percent over Y years.
• For X% of all HAZMAT incidents, the necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel arrive on scene within X minutes of notification.
• For X% of all incidents requiring tow trucks, the appropriate tow truck equipment arrives on scene within X minutes of request.

• Mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene after notification.
• Time for necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel to arrive on-scene following notification of a HAZMAT incident.
• Time between request for tow trucks and the arrival of appropriate tow trucks on scene.

• For each incident of interest in the region, incident notification time and on-scene arrival time. 
• For all HAZMAT incidents, the time of notification to HAZMAT staff/agencies and the arrival time of necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel.
• For incidents requiring tow trucks, the time of tow truck request and the time all appropriate tow truck(s) arrive on-scene.

• Data would need to be tracked by 9-1-1 dispatchers, incident responders on scene, or operators at a traffic management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the scene. 

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Employ emergency vehicle preemption: The safety impact is the potential for decreasing response times. Reviews of systems in several cities show a decrease in response times ranging from 14 to 50 percent.  Source: NCHRP 500 Volume 12 (effectiveness categorized as "proven").
• Install emergency vehicle preemption systems: The crash modification factor (CMF) for this treatment is 0.30 for all crashes. Source: FHWA Desktop Reference for Crash Reduction Factors, 2008.
  Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.

• A Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)-compliant Traffic Incident Management Area will be established at all traffic incidents requiring the closure of at least one travel lane by year Y.
• Response vehicle placement and on-scene emergency lighting procedures will be developed and used for all traffic incidents in the region by year Y.
• The Incident Command System, a well-established, standardized on-scene process for managing incident response activities, is understood by all incident response personnel prior to performing incident response functions and is used at all incident scenes by year Y.
• The region develops and uses specific, mutually agreed upon policies and procedures for HAZMAT and fatal accident response that also address maintaining traffic flow around the incident by year Y.
• By year Y, alternate route plans have been established and used by all appropriate agencies in the region for all routes with average daily volumes exceeding X.

• Rate of use of MUTCD-compliant Traffic Incident Management Areas.
• Rate of use of response vehicle placement and on-scene emergency lighting procedures.
• Percent of incident response personnel demonstrating proficiency in Incident Command System concepts and process.
• Rate of use of the Incident Command System.
• Usage rate of policies and procedures for HAZMAT and fatal accident response.
• Percentage of routes in region with average daily volumes over X with alternate route plans.
• Rate of use of alternate route plans.

• Usage rates for the procedures and policies listed in the performance measures. 

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the scene.  The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders willing to support the objectives.

• Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by X percent over Y years. (Defined as the time between awareness of an incident and the time the last responder has left the scene.)
• Reduce mean roadway clearance time per incident by X percent over Y years. (Defined as the time between awareness of an incident and restoration of lanes to full operational status.)
• Reduce mean time of incident duration (from awareness of incident to resumed traffic flow) on transit services and arterial and expressway facilities by X percent in Y years. 

• Mean incident clearance time per incident.
• Mean roadway clearance time per incident.
• Mean time of incident duration

• Data needed for these measures include the time of the awareness of an incident and one or more of the following pieces of data: the time the last responder left the scene, the time when all lanes were re-opened, the time when traffic returned to full operational status.

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the scene.  The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders willing to support the objectives

M&O strategies to consider in improving incident clearance and recovery include all of the strategies suggested for the areas of detection and verification, incident response, and incident scene management and traffic control. Policies and laws to consider for improved incident clearance include abandoned vehicle legislation/policy, safe, quick clearance laws—driver removal and authority removal, quick clearance/open roads policy, fatality certification/removal policy, and non-cargo vehicle fluid discharge policy.²⁴ Expedited crash investigation methods such as photogrammetry.

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Employ emergency vehicle preemption: The safety impact is the potential for decreasing response times. Reviews of systems in several cities show a decrease in response times ranging from 14 to 50 percent.  Source: NCHRP 500 Volume 12 (effectiveness categorized as "proven").
• Install emergency vehicle preemption systems: The CMF for this treatment is 0.30 for all crashes. Source: FHWA Desktop Reference for Crash Reduction Factors, 2008.
  Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.

• Reduce the person hours (or vehicle hours) of total delay associated with traffic incidents by X percent over Y years.
• Reduce freight (in tons) hours of total delay associated with traffic incidents by X percent over Y years.
• Reduce commercial vehicle hours of total delay associated with traffic incidents by X percent over Y years.

• Person hours (or vehicle hours) of delay associated with traffic incidents.
• Freight (in tons) hours of delay associated with traffic incidents.
• Commercial vehicle hours of delay associated with traffic incidents.

• Total travel time in person hours (or vehicle hours) of travel impacted by incidents.
• Total travel time in person hours (or vehicle hours) of travel during free flow conditions.
• Total travel time in freight ton hours of travel impacted by incidents.
• Total travel time in freight ton hours of travel during free flow conditions.
• Total travel time in commercial vehicles hours of travel during free flow conditions.
• Total travel time in commercial vehicles hours of travel during free flow conditions.

• Due to the unpredictable nature of traffic incidents, travel time may need to be collected, stored, and then analyzed after incident times and locations are obtained. Partners needed include public safety agencies and departments of transportation.

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Install changeable "Accident Ahead" warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 0.56 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore the range of the CMF is 0.96 to 0.16.  Source: HSM, First Edition.
• Install changeable "Queue Ahead" warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 0.84 with a standard error of 0.1 for rear-end injury crashes. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.04 to 0.64.  For rear-end non-injury crashes, the CMF is 0.84 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.24 to 0.44. Source: HSM, First Edition.
  Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.

• Reduce time between incident/emergency verification and posting a traveler alert to traveler information outlets (e.g., variable message signs, agency website, 511 system, media alerts) by X minutes in Y years.
• Increase number of repeat visitors to traveler information website (or 511 system) by X percent in Y years.
• Reduce the time between recovery from incident and removal of traveler alerts for that incident.
• Achieve by year Y and maintain an accuracy rate of X% of the traveler information provided on incidents and emergencies by government agencies.
• Provide alternate route information to travelers for at least X% of intermediate and major incidents (as defined by the MUTCD) by year Y. 
• Expand the percentage of impacted or potentially impacted travelers who receive incident and emergency traveler information to X% of the (potentially) impacted traveler population by year Y.

• Time to alert motorists of an incident/emergency.
• Number of repeat visitors to traveler information website (or 511 system).
• Time between recovery from incident and removal of traveler alerts.
• Rate of accuracy of traveler information messages provided by government agencies.
• Percent of intermediate and major incidents for which alternate route information was provided for travelers.
• Percent of impacted/potentially impacted travelers receiving traveler information on incidents and emergencies.

• Data needed for these measures include the time of incident verification and variable message sign (VMS) posting, 511 entry, traveler information website log of the number of visitors, and the time of transportation system recovery and travel alert removal.
• Traveler information accuracy rates for 511, VMS postings, websites, and other public agency traveler information outlets.
• Number of intermediate and major incidents for which alternate route information was supplied to travelers.
• Traveler information distribution/access rates.

• Data on the time of incident recovery could be collected by transportation management center operators with video of incident scene or through continuous collection of traffic speeds.  Partners would need to include agencies that manage traveler information websites, VMS, and emergency operations centers.  Public safety partners may be needed for information on incident verification time. Surveys will be needed to measures exposure to traveler information for incidents and emergencies.

• M&O strategies to consider include training on disseminating incident-related traveler information as well as deploying and managing VMS and websites.  Accuracy and distribution of traveler information can be improved through regionally accepted standards and protocols and increased communication and coordination with public information officers, with private media providers, and between jurisdictions.

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Install changeable "Accident Ahead" warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 0.56 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 0.96 to 0.16.  Source: HSM, First Edition.
• Install changeable "Queue Ahead" warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 0.84 with a standard error of 0.1 for rear-end injury crashes. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.04 to 0.64.  For rear-end non-injury crashes, the CMF is 0.84 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.24 to 0.44. Source: HSM, First Edition.
  Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.

• Increase percentage of incident management agencies in the region that (participate in a multi-modal information exchange network, use interoperable voice communications, participate in a regional coordinated incident response team, etc.) by X percent in Y years.
• Increase the number of corridors in the region covered by regional coordinated incident response teams by X percent in Y years.
• Hold at least X multi-agency after-action review meetings each year with attendance from at least Y percent of the agencies involved in the incident's response.
• Increase the percentage  of TIM-related agencies in the region that participate in a resource/equipment sharing agreement to support TIM activities to X% by year Y.
• Standard definitions of TIM objectives and performance measures are adopted and tracked by X% of TIM-related agencies in the region by year Y.
• X% of TIM-related agencies in the region agree to use a standard terminology for TIM by year Y.

• Percentage of incident management agencies in region participating in multi-modal information exchange network. 
• Number of agencies in the region with interoperable voice communications.
• Number of participating agencies in a regionally coordinated incident response team.
• Number of TIM corridors in the region covered by regionally coordinated incident response teams.
• Number of multi-agency after-action reviews per year.
• Percentage of responding agencies participating in after-action reviews.
• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that participate in a resource/equipment sharing agreement to support TIM activities.
• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that have adopted and track standard TIM objectives and performance measures.
• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that have agreed to use standard terminology for TIM.

• Data needed for these measures include the number of agencies participating in a regional incident management program or activity, the number of corridors covered by a regional incident management team, and the number of after-action reviews held. 
• Data needs also include number of TIM-related agencies participating in a resource sharing agreement, that have adopted standard TIM objectives and performance measures, and that have agreed to use standard terminology.

• This data can be collected by observation of emergency/incident management programs or asking TIM and other emergency management agencies to self-report. 

• Conduct X joint training exercises among operators and emergency responders in the region by year Y.
• By year Y, X percent of staff in region with incident management responsibilities will have completed the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training and at least X percent of transportation responders in the region will be familiar with the incident command structure (ICS).
• By year Y, X percent of staff in region with incident management responsibilities will have completed the multi-disciplinary Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) National TIM Responder Training Course offered by FHWA.

• Number of joint training exercises conducted among operators and emergency responders.
• Percentage of staff having completed NIMS training and percent of transportation responders familiar with ICS.
• Percentage of staff having completed SHRP 2 National TIM Responder Training Course.

• The number of joint training exercises conducted in the region among operators and emergency responders
• The number of staff within each agency in the region that have incident management responsibilities as well as the number of staff that have completed the NIMS training.
• The number of transportation responder staff in the region familiar with ICS.
• The number of staff within each agency in the region that have completed the SHRP 2 National TIM Responder Training Course by FHWA.

• A simple count of incident management staff and those that completed NIMS training and the SHRP 2 course would need to be collected from each TIM agency in the region.  A survey or self-assessment could be used on a regional level for ICS familiarity. 

• Increase the number of ITS-related assets (e.g., roadside cameras, vehicle speed detectors) in use for incident detection by X in Y years.
• Increase the number of ITS-related assets (e.g., roadside cameras) in use for incident verification by X in Y years.
• Increase the number of regional road miles covered by ITS-related assets (e.g., roadside cameras, dynamic message signs, vehicle speed detectors) in use for incident detection and/or verification by X percent in Y years.
• Increase the number of traffic signals equipped with emergency vehicle preemption by X percent in Y years.
• Increase the number of total station survey equipment or photogrammetry systems for expedited crash investigation by X in Y years.
• Maintain the "health" of the ITS assets (e.g., roadside cameras, dynamic message signs, vehicle speed detectors) so that all assets are functioning as intended at least X% of the time. 

• Number of ITS-related assets in use for incident detection/verification.
• Number of regional roadway miles covered by ITS-related assets in use for incident detection.
• Number of traffic signals equipped with emergency vehicle preemption.
• Number of total station surveying equipment and/or photogrammetry systems.
• Amount of time ITS assets are in proper functioning condition.

• The data needed for technology deployment objectives is simply a count of the assets deployed for TIM.
• Rate of failure or decreased functionality of ITS assets.

• Reduce the pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per year in the region as a result of incident-related congestion by X% in Y years.
• Reduce the gallons of fuel wasted per year in the region as a result of incident-related congestion by X% in Y years.
• Decrease the amount (unit of measurement will depend on material spilled) of hazardous materials released into the environment (soil, waterway, air) through spills caused by traffic incidents by X% in Y years.

• Pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per year in the region as a result of incident-related congestion.
• Gallons of fuel wasted per year in the region as a result of incident-related congestion.
• Amount of hazardous materials entering the environment as a result of a HAZMAT-related traffic incidents.

• Hours of travel time delay per year caused by traffic incidents.
• Estimate of carbon dioxide emitted and gallons of fuel burned per hour of delay.
• Amount of hazardous materials spilled and not recovered during incidents.

• Data on HAZMAT spills may be available from the Environmental/Natural Resources/Departments of Health. Estimates on CO2 emissions and gallons wasted per hour of delay may be available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Departments of transportation and public safety agencies are among the partners needed to obtain data on delay time caused by incidents.