Every few seconds, a traffic incident responder puts his or her life on the line to aid crash victims and to safely and quickly clear crashes as well as other traffic incidents that could otherwise result in a secondary crash.

These responders each year clear about 7 million motor vehicle crashes as well as the broader range of roadway incidents such as stalled vehicles or roadway debris. Responders are the first on the scene, protecting every road user, and they deserve to be the first on drivers’ minds to be kept safe.

Yet every year these responders are killed in the line of duty or bear permanent scars from life-altering injuries.

This is Crash Responder Safety Week, a somewhat obscure yet very important opportunity to recognize great work in individual communities across the region and state.

This year’s theme is “Responders Ahead! Reduce Your Speed As You Proceed.”

It affords a unique opportunity for every traffic incident management community member to make a difference individually and jointly for roadway safety during traffic incidents.

Traffic Incident Management personnel across the nation come together this week by teaching each other and all road users about the common goal and responsibility for safe, quick roadway clearance. It is an opportunity to promote TIM training for all traffic incident responders and Move Over laws.

Michigan’s Traffic Incident Management Effort is a partnership between agencies, including the Michigan Department of Transportation, state and local law enforcement, fire, EMS, local road agencies and towing services, working together to safely and efficiently clear traffic incidents from Michigan’s roads.

TIM is important for maintaining safe, effective travel, as well as minimizing economic impacts due to delays and congestion. Mi-TIME responder training provides the responder community with TIM standards and good practices, with the overall purpose of enhancing quick clearance efforts and improving responder and motorist safety.

Clearing incident scenes quickly with a well-coordinated, multi-disciplinary team of first responders and transportation personnel is an important means of reducing the risk of secondary crashes and congestion delays.

The work these people do, under the circumstances that they do it, is vitally important.

They deserve recognition.