ACCIDENT REPORTING AND CLEARANCE PROCEDURES ON THE GULF FREEWAY

A FOURTEEN CAMERA CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AND A BASE STATION POLICE RADIO WAS USED TO DETECT AND REPORT INCIDENTS REQUIRING POLICE ASSISTANCE. A STUDY OF DAILY INCIDENT LOGS SHOWS AN AVERAGE MINOR (NON-INJURY) ACCIDENT DIRECTLY AFFECTS TRAFFIC FOR 41 MINUTES: (1) DETECTION AND REPORTING OF ACCIDENTS TO POLICE DISPATCHER (1 MINUTE). (2) LOCATION, DISPATCH AND TRAVEL TO ACCIDENT SCENE OF POLICE OF POLICE UNIT (11 MINUTES). (3) CLEARING OF ACCIDENT FROM TRAVELED LANES (4 MINUTES). AND (4) INVESTIGATION OF ACCIDENT BY POLICE (24 1/2 MINUTES). THERE ARE TWO GENERAL CAUSES OF CONGESTION AT A REDUCED CAPACITY SCENE: (1) PHYSICAL BLOCKAGE OF TRAFFIC LANES, AND (2) THE DISTRACTION OF MOTORISTS CREATED BY THE ACTIVITY AROUND THE INCIDENT WHICH OFTEN CAUSES FURTHER INCIDENTS. SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE REALIZED BY POLICE IMPLEMENTATION OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WHICH EXPEDITE THE REMOVAL OF DISABLED VEHIC6ES FROM FREEWAYS. FURTHER BENFITS CAN BE GAINED BY REMOVING VEHICLES TO A LOCATION SCREENED FROM THE VIEW OF FREEWAY DRIVERS. /SRIS/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 14 Pp, 10 FIG
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas A&M University, College Station

  College Station, TX  United States  77840

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011
• Authors:
  • Goolsby, M E
• Publication Date: 1969-9

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Closed circuit television; Crash investigation; Crashes; Freeways; Police; Railroad clearances; Reports; Time; Traffic congestion; Traffic incidents; Traffic lanes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Congestion; Disabled vehicles; Reporting
• Old TRIS Terms: Clearances
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220742
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 22 1970 12:00AM