What is a reason why traffic control may be necessary at a roadway incident?

Traffic control is crucial at a roadway incident primarily to ensure the safety of both the response team and the public. When an incident occurs, there is often a chaotic environment due to the presence of emergency vehicles, personnel, and possibly injured individuals. Traffic control helps establish a safe perimeter around the incident scene, preventing oncoming vehicles from accidentally entering the area where first responders are working. This not only protects emergency responders from potential harm but also keeps the public safe by reducing the risk of secondary incidents caused by reckless or unrestrained traffic movement.

While managing local business traffic, facilitating emergency vehicle access, and enforcing speed limits are all important factors in traffic management, they are secondary to the primary goal of ensuring safety. Traffic control measures, such as setting up cones, barriers, or signage, are implemented primarily with safety as the foremost priority, thus making it a critical aspect of incident management.