What is any non-recurring event that causes a reduction of roadway capacity or an abnormal increase in demand, requiring law enforcement response?

• A. Incident
• B. Major Event
• C. Construction
• D. Maintenance

Answer: (A)

This item tests understanding of what counts as a traffic incident in incident management. An incident is an unplanned event on the roadway that temporarily reduces capacity or creates abnormal demand, and it typically requires law enforcement to respond, secure the scene, and direct or manage traffic. Examples include crashes, disabled vehicles, debris, or spills — situations that arise unexpectedly and disrupt normal flow.

The other options are not a fit because they describe planned or ongoing activities. A major event is a scheduled, large-scale activity with anticipated traffic impacts, not an unplanned disruption. Construction and maintenance are planned work zones that reduce capacity over a period of time and are part of normal operations rather than unplanned incidents. Therefore, the event that best matches the description is an incident.