N.C. Highway N.C. Highway Incident Safety Incident Safety

DVDDVDTIME TaskforceOct. 27th, 2009Brian Purvis, PE

NCDOT State IM Engineer

NCDOTNCDOT Our Mission

Connecting people and places in NC - safely and efficiently, with accountability and environmental sensitivity

Our GoalsMake roads saferMove people and goods efficientlyMake roads last longer

FIRE DEPARTMENTFIRE DEPARTMENT Mission

Minimize the risk of fire and other hazards to the citizens they serve

GoalsRespond and mitigate fires, medical

emergencies, hazmat incidents, aircraft emergencies, high angle and confined space rescues and other emergencies as they arise

FOCUS AREA FOCUS AREA Strategic Highway Strategic Highway

CorridorsCorridors Provides mobility for commuters,

businesses, tourists, hospitals, military bases, airports, schools,

and hurricane evacuees. Strategic Highway Corridors:

+/- 5400 miles 7.0 % of system, moves 45 % of

traffic

North Carolina’s Strategic North Carolina’s Strategic Highway Corridors Highway Corridors

(SHC’s)(SHC’s)

Accidents and Disabled Vehicles (25%)

Sources of CongestionSources of Congestion

Secondary Crashes National and NC data shows that

secondary crashes account for nearly of all crashes.

Safety Impacts of Safety Impacts of IncidentsIncidents

30%

18% USDOT estimates that of the deaths on freeways are due to secondary crashes.

REMAINING FREEWAY CAPACITYREMAINING FREEWAY CAPACITY

IncidentType Location No. of Freeway Lanes / Direction

2 3 4 5

Rt. Shdr 81 83 85 87

Accident Median 81 83 85 87

1-Lane 35 49 58 65

Rt. Shdr 95 98 98 98Breakdown

Debris Median 95 98 98 98

1-Lane 35 49 58 65

PUBLIC’S VIEW OF NCDOT…PUBLIC’S VIEW OF NCDOT…

SHOULDER ACCIDENTSHOULDER ACCIDENT

-19%

FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVESFIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVES

-65%

46% LESS Capacity

FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVESFIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVES

MUTCD ? NO Standardized? NO Confused? YES

What’s Wrong With This Picture?What’s Wrong With This Picture?

What’s Wrong With This Picture?What’s Wrong With This Picture?• Tuesday, June 19, 2007

– This was a very close call last Sunday night for Charlotte Firefighters when a motorist slammed into the rear of E22 on I-85. Two suffered minor injuries and were treated and released. One was hit by debris and the other injured his back while climbing a concrete barrier to provide assistance. The driver was the only occupant of the of the car (a Volvo) and was pinned in. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. E22 was providing assistance to another MVA when this accident occurred. They were within a minute or so of clearing the scene.

Single Vehicle on Fire on ShoulderMinor Incident: Minor Incident:

Two Vehicle Accident with Injuries and Entrapment

Intermediate Incident:Intermediate Incident:

So, How Can We All So, How Can We All Work Better Together Work Better Together

To Minimize the To Minimize the Impacts of Incidents Impacts of Incidents on Travel in NC…?on Travel in NC…?

FEMA GRANTFEMA GRANTNFPA 1901 Requirements (Jan 09)

Fifty percent of the rear-facing vertical surface of all vehicles must now be covered with reflective red and yellow stripes in a chevron pattern sloping downward from the center of the vehicle at a 45-degree angle. The stripes must be 6 in wide, instead of the minimum combined width of 4 in specified on the sides and front. Although there is some latitude on the exact shade of yellow to be used, other colors may not be substituted.

FEMA GRANTFEMA GRANTNFPA 1901 Requirements (Jan 09)

All apparatus must now carry five 28-in high fluorescent orange traffic cones with double reflective markings, five illumination warning devices such as flares, and one traffic safety vest meeting current ANSI standards for each seating position. Departments may want to increase the number of traffic cones and illumination warning devices based on local conditions.

FEMA GRANTFEMA GRANTECHS~Incident Management Group

$525,000Produce DVD Training5 Cones / Existing 6 Tire minimum Rescue

or Fire Truck with 80% training verified.Reference Visor Cards

March – Distribute to Community CollegesApril thru May – Ship Cones to FD’sEnd of May – Complete Grant Funding

FEMA GRANTFEMA GRANT

PARKING ORDER BLOCK LEFT BLOCK SHOULDERBLOCK RIGHT

LAN

E

CREATE AN OPEN LANE(S) POLICY TO GET RESOURCES TO

THE INCIDENT FASTER. MINIMIZE CLOSED LANES

FIRE OR RESCUE DEPLOY A 200' TAPER WITH TRAFFIC CONES TO

REDIRECT TRAFFIC. SPACE CONES AT EACH SKIP LINE

REMOVE LANE CLOSURES, RELOCATE TO SHOULDER OR

DEMOBILIZE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNLESS REQUESTED

FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL

LAN

E

FIRST ARRIVING FIRE OR RESCUE SHOULD ANGLE VEHICLE (BLOCK) IN THE DIRECTION OF THE

MERGE WHEN PERSONNEL ARE NOT AT RISK

CONTACT DOT FOR HAZMAT, OVERTURNED TRACTOR

TRAILERS, FATALITY INVESTIGATIONS, MULTIPLE

VEHICLE ACCIDENTS OR OTHER LONG TERM INCIDENTS

Emergency Responder Parking Order and Cone Placement Reference Card

UPS

TREA

M

D

OW

NST

REA

M

EMS

FIRE / RESCUE

LAW ENFORCEMENT

PROVIDE A 50' TO 100' BUFFER SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE

INCIDENT SCENE

RESPONDER GOALS

STAGED VEHICLES

WRECKER SERVICE

TRAFFIC CONES

DO NOT PARK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR IN THE

OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

AS

SOO

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REM

OVE

LA

NE

PLU

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BIL

IZE

UNPROTECTED AREA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION /

IMAP

TRANSITION AREA

BUFFER SPACE

SHADOW AREA

SHADOW AREA

INCIDENT SCENE

* DO

T / I

MA

P TO

TA

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OVE

R

TRA

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FEMA GRANTFEMA GRANT

MOVE OVER LAW

Emergency Responder Highway & Interstate Safety Reference Card

LAW

S TO

HEL

P EM

ERG

ENC

Y R

ESPO

ND

ERS

FENDER BENDER LAW QUICK CLEARANCE LAW

Move over to an adjacent lane if available or

Slow down, maintaining a safe speed for traffic

the concurence of DOT, may immediately

f) Any investigating law enforcement officer, with

remove or have removed from the State

General Statute § 20-157 states:

f) When approaching a stopped emergency

vehicle with lights flashing, drivers should:

e) It is unlawful for a driver, except on official

business, to park and leave a vehicle within 100

feet of law enforcement or fire department

vehicles, public or private ambulances, or rescue

squad emergency vehicles which are engaged in

the investigation of an accident or engaged in

rendering assistance to victims of such accident.

personal property interfering with the regular flow

shoulder to minimize interference with traffic if all

of the following apply:

The accident or collision has not resulted in

Each vehicle can be normally and safely driven

under its own power without additional damage

Highway System any wrecked, abandoned,

feet in both directions and does not obstruct the

temporarily leaving the vehicle upon the paved

of traffic or which otherwise constitues a hazard, without liability for property removal.

General Statute § 20-166 states:If an accident or collision occurs on a main lane,

ramp, shoulder, median or adjacent area of a

highway, each vehicle shall be moved as soon as

possible out of the travel lane and onto the

to the vehicle, other traffic or the roadway.

b) No person shall park or leave standing any

a) No person shall park or leave standing any

General Statute § 20-161 states:

vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the

injury or death to any person.

disabled and impossible to avoid stopping and

outside municipal corporate limits unless

or main-traveled portion of the highway.

paved or main-traveled portion of any highway

vehicle upon the shoulder outside municipal

corporate limits unless it can be seen for 200

and

when safe to do so,

or

conditions and be prepared to stop.

normal movement of traffic.

disabled, unattended, burned... vehicle, cargo or

NEXT STEPS…NEXT STEPS…

NEXT STEPS…NEXT STEPS…

Questions ?Questions ?

Brian PurvisBrian Purvisbpurvis@ncdot.govbpurvis@ncdot.gov

919-773-2975919-773-2975