Thank you to Jim Stanek, Incident Management Coordinator/Eastern Region
Operations for Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), for the
excellent tour of the VDOT Incident Command Center for members of Drive Safe Hampton Roads. It was an honor and privilege to observe and learn from the men and women who serve the community by ensuring traffic safety for all drivers. VDOT in the Eastern Region helps thousands of people over the year; and, at least over 1,500 drivers a month in the Hampton Roads region with roadside assistance that may include enough gas to get to the next gas station, change a tire, a tow to safe ground, or any other assistance before emergency response teams arrive. The VDOT Command Center is ever vigilant monitoring traffic on regional roads and highways and responding to any incident. 
The future is here and now in Hampton Roads. Jim’s team mentioned that a new system is being put in place to create electronic flares to alert drivers using WAZE that there is an incident ahead and to use caution. Another first, VDOT has integrated new LIDAR technology into the way they do accident reconstruction reports that has cut their reporting time down by half and creates a full 3D with animation report that supports the accident investigation. Jim has one request for all drivers – to slow down. Please share this message with your colleagues, neighbors, and family members. We can all do our part to support VDOT in their work to keep the roads safe and open, by slowing down.