Why TIM is Important to Us All


For public safety responders and support teams responding to highway incidents…, the risk of injury or death is constant. According to the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition (NTIMC) traffic crashes and “struck-by” incidents continue to be a leading cause of on-duty injuries and deaths for law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services, and towing and recovery professionals. Along with state DOT professionals, these “heroes of the highway” risk their personal safety to provide necessary services to the citizens of Alabama. Safe, quick clearance of highway incidents reduces the exposure for all.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has characterized traffic congestion as “one of the single largest threats” to the Nation's economic prosperity and way of life. Traffic incidents are a large contributing factor to congestion in the U.S. NTIMC studies indicate that traffic incidents are the cause of about one quarter of the congestion on U.S. roadways, and that for every minute a freeway lane is blocked due to an incident, it results in 4 minutes of travel delay. Travel delay impacts system reliability, impacting commerce, impacting, on varying levels, the livability of the communities we call home.

Saving lives, time and money, is a shared priority amongst local, state and federal partners. ALDOT continues working closely with these partners to build and promote a robust TIM program throughout the state. We are making use of and creating opportunities to increase our interaction, outreach and awareness regarding TIM program elements.

Together Alabama’s responder community can shape the next generation of Traffic Incident Management, improve the on-scene safety of our first responders and increase the “livability” of our communities. Encourage your agency and community members to learn about Alabama’s TIM program, and promote safe, quick clearance of roadway incidents.

To Respond Effectively as a Team…We Need to Train as a Team – TIM Responder Training Comes to Alabama

Alabama's TIM Responder Training Implementation Committee first met in December of 2013. Early on, one of the committee's primary responsibilities was to identify a cadre of cross-disciplined trainers to begin the delivery of TIM Responder Training in Alabama. With representatives from each of Alabama's TIM disciplines, the committee identified 60 participants from various response disciplines who would receive the initial Federal Highway Administration's TIM Responder Train the Trainer curriculum. With the Alabama TIM Implementation Plan in-place Alabama will hosted two TIM Responder Train the Trainer sessions, November 2014 and February 2015. Immediately after the Train the Trainer sessions this cadre of cross-disciplined trainers will begin to deliver TIM Responder Training throughout the state.