T
he term “quick clearance” is now a working catchphrase for tow operators handling a hazardous recovery. So much so, it has now been written into the Traffic Incident Management Quick Clearance Laws: A National Review of Best Practices from the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. As implied by the expression, “quick clearance” involves rapidly removing temporary obstructions, such as disabled or wrecked vehicles, debris, and spilled cargo, from the roadway to increase the safety of incident responders. This approach minimizes their exposure to adjacent passing traffic, reduces the probability of secondary incidents, and relieves overall congestion levels and delay. Such was the case in July 2021 when Nick’s Towing received an urgent call about a hazardous accident scene.
Quick clearance
was the name of the game due to morning rush hour. “One of our corporate customers contacted us about a rolled-over truck on Route 21 in Newark, New Jersey,” related Joyce Testa Powers of Nick’s Towing. “We immediately responded and got approval from the local police. Quick clearance was the name of the game due to morning rush hour.” The accident occurred when the truck, fully loaded with groceries, was cut off. In an effort to avoid the interfering vehicle, the driver overcorrected and rolled the truck over into a
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Work the non-traffic side - Stay Safe!
AmericanTowman.com | January 2022 • 29