After a collision why is it nessessary to block more lanes than the actual accident requires? And why does it take so long to clear the vehicles and area? During the Pan Am games they cleared accidents in half an hour, so its possible to be faster. Thank you.

Great question, and there’s actually quite a bit to unpack here. First, not all collisions are treated equally. If it’s a minor fender bender, nobody is injured, there’s no criminality involved, and the vehicles are drivable, you should be moving those vehicles off the roadway to a safe location. Exchange information and, if required, attend a Collision Reporting Centre. There’s generally no reason to block traffic for something like that. But when you’re dealing with a more serious collision, things change. First, there’s the safety of the emergency responders. Police officers, firefighters and paramedics need room to work. That means creating a safety buffer between themselves and moving traffic. Sometimes that requires closing an additional lane, even if the collision itself only occupies one lane. Remember, people aren’t always paying attention, and the last thing we need is a secondary collision involving emergency personnel or the people they’re trying to help. Second, there’s the investigation. In a serious or fatal collision, police may need collision reconstruction specialists, forensic identification officers, photographers and investigators. Evidence can extend well beyond where the vehicles finally came to rest. Skid marks, debris, fluid trails and impact points might be spread across multiple lanes. You can’t simply drag everything to the shoulder and investigate later if doing so destroys evidence. Third, there’s the time involved. You may have to wait for specialized investigators, equipment, tow trucks, and sometimes the coroner. Depending on the circumstances, vehicles may need to be examined and the roadway documented before anything can be moved. Now, your point about the Pan Am Games is absolutely valid. During the Games, there were dedicated resources specifically assigned to keeping traffic moving. Additional police teams, rapid-response personnel and towing resources were strategically positioned to clear incidents as quickly as possible. And you’re right, that demonstrated that with additional resources and coordination, we absolutely can clear many collisions faster. But there’s a big difference between quickly clearing a minor property-damage collision and properly investigating a collision where someone has been seriously injured or killed. Could we improve how quickly roads reopen? Absolutely. Should we be looking at ways to do that? Of course. But the priority has to be protecting lives, preserving evidence and conducting a proper investigation. The goal should always be to reopen the road as quickly as it’s safe and appropriate to do so, not simply as quickly as possible.