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Incident Screen Trial Update
June 2008
Introduction
Congestion caused by incidents is a significant cause of delay on the Strategic Road Network. Incidents can often affect the opposite carriageway, with road users slowing down to view the incident scene, this is known as 'rubbernecking'. To help address this issue, incident screens have been developed and are designed to obscure the view of an incident and prevent 'rubbernecking'. The Bulletin first reported on barrier mounted incident screens in April 2007 and provided an update on free-standing versions in September 2007.
This article concentrates on a recent trial carried out in Area 5, where incident screens were used successfully at the scene of a fatal incident on the M23. Additionally, the article looks at the way forward and the planned national roll out of incident screens.
Area 5 Trial
A number of trials involving incident screens have taken place, most recently in Area 5 where five freestanding incident screens were designed as part of the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Team's national incident screen project. The screens are intended to be used for any incidents that may have last 3 hours or more, to assist in reducing congestion by preventing rubbernecking. During the development of an incident screen specification, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) tested the screens for safety and stability and just recently, one of the screens was deployed at an incident.
Incident Screens used in the Area 5 trial
The Incident
At around 11:15am on 5th June 2008, a fatal incident occurred on the southbound carriageway of the M23 in Surrey. By 12:00, the Service Provider Network Control Centre had been notified and a request for attendance with incident screens received. The Service Provider arrived on scene at 13:15 and by 13:30, the incident could not be seen from the opposite carriageway. The southbound carriageway of the M23, between the start of the motorway at Hooley, and the junction with the M25 was closed as a result of the incident. The deployment of incident screens ensured that the speed of vehicles travelling on the opposite carriageway was visibly improved, reducing the rubbernecking effect and associated dangers.
Bob Wadsworth, Incident Support Manager for Area 5 commented:
"We have been trialling incident screens, both in Area 5 and 8, in conjunction with the Highways Agency and TRL. When deployed they have been proven to reduce the incidence of 'rubbernecking' and therefore increase the traffic flow on the unaffected carriageway. With the introduction of the 'free-standing' incident screen we will be in a position to deploy them in areas where there is no safety barrier and, if space allows and it does not interfere with the crime scene, on the affected carriageway with the aim of allowing traffic to safely pass the obscured scene."
What happens next?
The specification for Incident Screens is currently being finalised to ensure that the maximum benefit is realised. Once the specification is agreed, funding will be provided through the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Programme to each of the Area Teams. Following this, a national roll out programme can commence, bringing with it an enhanced capacity within the Service Providers to effectively manage incident scenes and a subsequent reduction in rubbernecking on the unaffected carriageway. The TIM Bulletin will keep you updated of future developments involving incident screens.
Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions, or if you have encountered the use of incident screens and want to share your experiences, please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.
