With summer 2018 in full swing and roadways fully stocked with everyday drivers, tractor trailers, and vacationers alike, the highways quickly become a place where emergency situations will arise. As summer traffic volume increases emergency responders face a growing risk to their personal safety while managing and working at highway incidents. If you’ve ever come upon an emergency situation like an overturned tractor trailer or a roadway spill and emergency vehicles have not responded yet then the best thing to do is call 911. However if you’re stuck in traffic due to a roadway spill and emergency clean up crews are on the scene already, then drive with due care for responding personnel and drive proceed with caution. However In most cases traffic will be stopped, and forced to wait while the lanes are cleared. Emergency clean up crews will generally do everything they can to at least get one lane or shoulder passable to traffic immediately, but sometimes this is just not possible. Sometimes, if it is determined that it is going to be quite a LONG time until it is cleared, the highway will be closed at or prior to the previous exit, and traffic forced off at that point. This generally, however, will not be done unless the estimate to get traffic passable is quite a LONG time. Rest assured emergency clean up crews and all personnel are doing every thing they can to get the roadway safe for all to use. If it seems like its taking an overly long time to get things moving there’s valid reasons, required protocol, and certain steps that are being taken to ensure the roadway is safe and passable for everyone to use while they finish cleaning up the tasks at hand. So please drive safely this summer and if you happen to come upon an incident where a roadway is being cleared from a traffic incident please remember to courteous to all involved.