Highway traffic incident management: an operator–centred investigation

Effective traffic incident management is a fundamental factor in road safety and congestion control, decreasing the occurrence of secondary incidents at scenes and minimising the impact of resultant traffic congestion and emissions. Emergency and traffic officers working within traffic incident inner and outer cordons are highly trained; however, it is still a dangerous work environment and fatalities and injuries regularly occur. In 2007, the Australian Association of Road Transport and Traffic Authorities (Austroads) adapted the US Federal Highways Association traffic incident management self–assessment tool and tested it in five Australian capital cities. Results from the Austroads study indicated that the city of Brisbane had the lowest ranking for perceived safety of responders and motorists at traffic incidents. As such, the present study investigated issues with the physical environment of the outer cordon at traffic incidents in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Interviews with the operators involved in incident management highlighted issues regarding the safety of responders at traffic incidents, lighting and other warning devices at traffic incidents, and driver perceptions and behaviours. These findings were supported and extended by a survey of traffic response officers. As part of an ongoing programme of research, the benefits of taking an operator–centred approach and the subsequent research to be undertaken are discussed.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1504/IJHFE.2013.057615
• Record URL:
  • http://inderscience.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=X4874TQ7371218MJ
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/20457804
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
• Authors:
  • Cattermole, Vanessa
  • Horberry, Tim
  • Cloete, Steven
• Publication Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 159-174
• Serial:
  • International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 2-3
  • Publisher: Inderscience Enterprises Limited
  • ISSN: 2045-7804
  • EISSN: 2045-7812
  • Serial URL: http://www.inderscience.com/jhome.php?jcode=ijhfe

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Evaluation and assessment; Highway safety; Incident management; Traffic law enforcement
• Identifier Terms: Austroads
• Uncontrolled Terms: First responders (Emergencies); Traffic safety officers
• Geographic Terms: Brisbane (Australia)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I73: Traffic Control; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01502305
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 23 2013 11:06AM