National Unified Goal

WHAT IS THE NATIONAL UNIFIED GOAL (NUG)?

The Traffic Incident Management National Unified Goal or NUG is:

  • Responder safety;
  • Safe, quick clearance; and
  • Prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.

COMMITMENT STATEMENT

The NTIMC is committed to working together to promote, develop, and sustain multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional Traffic Incident Management (TIM) programs to achieve enhanced responder safety; safe, quick traffic incident clearance; and more prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.

HOW WILL THE GOAL BE ACHIEVED?

NTIMC will achieve the three major objectives of the National Unified Goal (NUG) through 18 strategies. Key strategies include recommended practices for multidisciplinary TIM operations and communications; multidisciplinary TIM training; goals for performance and progress; promotion of beneficial technologies; and partnerships to promote driver awareness.

CROSS-CUTTING STRATEGIES

  • Strategy 1. TIM Partnerships and Programs. Traffic Incident Management partners at the national, state, regional and local levels should work together to promote, develop and sustain effective Traffic Incident Management Programs.
  • Strategy 2. Multidisciplinary NIMS and TIM Training. Traffic Incident Management responders should receive multidisciplinary National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Traffic Incident Management (TIM) training.
  • Strategy 3. Goals for Performance and Progress. Traffic Incident Management partners should work together to establish and implement performance goals at the state, regional and local levels for increasing the effectiveness of traffic Incident Management, including methods for measuring and monitoring progress.
  • Strategy 4. TIM Technology. Traffic Incident Management partners at the national, state, regional and local levels should work together for rapid and coordinated implementation of beneficial new technologies for Traffic Incident Management.
  • Strategy 5. Effective TIM Policies. Traffic Incident Management partners at the national, state, regional and local levels should join together to raise awareness regarding proposed policies and legislation that affect achievement of the National Unified Goal (NUG) objectives of Responder Safety; Safe, Quick Clearance; and Prompt, Reliable Traffic Incident Communications.
  • Strategy 6. Awareness and Education Partnerships. Broad partnerships should be developed to promote public awareness and education regarding the public’s role in safe, efficient resolution of incidents on the roadways.

OBJECTIVE 1: RESPONDER SAFETY

  • Strategy 7. Recommended Practices for Responder Safety. Recommended practices for responder safety and for traffic control at incident scenes should be developed, and widely published, distributed and adopted.
  • Strategy 8. Move Over/Slow Down Laws. Drivers should be required to Move Over/Slow Down when approaching traffic incident response vehicles and traffic incident responders on the roadway.
  • Strategy 9. Driver Training and Awareness. Driver training and awareness programs should teach drivers how to react to emergencies on the roadway in order to prevent secondary incidents, including traffic incident responder injuries and deaths.

OBJECTIVE 2: SAFE, QUICK CLEARANCE

  • Strategy 10. Multidisciplinary TIM Procedures. Traffic Incident Management partners at the state, regional and local levels should develop and adopt multidisciplinary procedures for coordination of Traffic Incident Management operations, based on national recommended practices and procedures.
  • Strategy 11. Response and Clearance Time Goals. Traffic Incident Management partners at the state, regional and local levels should commit to achievement of goals for traffic incident response and clearance times (as a component of broader goals for more effective Traffic Incident Management--see Strategy 3).
  • Strategy 12. 24/7 Availability. Traffic Incident Management responders and resources should be available 24/7.

OBJECTIVE 3: PROMPT, RELIABLE INCIDENT COMMUNICATIONS

  • Strategy 13. Multidisciplinary Communications Practices and Procedures. Traffic incident responders should develop and implement standardized multidisciplinary traffic incident communications practices and procedures.
  • Strategy 14. Prompt, Reliable Responder Notification. All traffic incident responders should receive prompt, reliable notification of incidents to which they are expected to respond.
  • Strategy 15. Interoperable Voice and Data Networks. State, regional and local Traffic Incident Management stakeholders should work together to develop interoperable voice and data networks.
  • Strategy 16. Broadband Emergency Communications Systems. National Traffic Incident Management stakeholders (working through the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition) should work together to reduce the barriers to integrated broadband emergency communications systems development and integration (both wired and wireless).
  • Strategy 17. Prompt, Reliable Traveler Information Systems. Traffic Incident Management partners should encourage development of more prompt and reliable traveler information systems that will enable drivers to make travel decisions to reduce the impacts of emergency incidents on traffic flow.
  • Strategy 18. Partnerships with News Media and Information Providers. Traffic Incident Management partners should actively partner with news media and information service providers to provide prompt, reliable incident information to the public.

For more information on the Traffic Incident Management National Unified Goal (NUG), visit the National Traffic Incident Management Coalition. Click here to access the 2010 Traffic Incident Management Handbook Update.

View the RSLN.org online training module, "National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident Management."

Access resources on the National Unified Goal, including explanatory documents.

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