VicRoads Incident Response Service (IRS) patrols Melbourne’s freeways, clearing incidents and helping maintain traffic flow.

The Incident Response Service aims to:

• minimise congestion caused by incidents
• reduce follow-on incidents
• provide a safe road network for users
• increase the reliability of travel times
• assist emergency services to perform their role effectively
• provide drivers with reliable traffic information.

What the IRS does
The IRS responds to on-road incidents that affect the flow of traffic. This includes crashes, vehicle breakdowns, debris on the road and chemical spills.

The IRS assist police and emergency services with the safe and timely management of incidents, including setting up signage and managing traffic flow around the scene. Once the emergency services have left the scene the IRS assist with clearing debris and re-opening lanes to get traffic moving again as quickly as possible.

By responding quickly, the IRS reduces traffic congestion and the risk of follow-on incidents. 

If your car breaks down on a freeway and is affecting traffic flow, we will tow it out of the way to get traffic moving again. Where necessary we will also move vehicles that are illegally blocking traffic.

Where the IRS operates
The IRS operates on 174km of Melbourne's metropolitan freeways.

How does VicRoads know if there is an incident?
Incidents are identified by VicRoads Traffic Management Centre (TMC) using cameras, traffic detectors and information provided from emergency services and the public. During peak periods an IRS Coordinator in the TMC manages incidents and deploys vehicles as required. VicRoads also provides information about incidents to the media for traffic reports.

How to contact the IRS
If you see or are involved in an incident blocking traffic flow on a major road in Melbourne, please report it to our Traffic Management Centre on 13 11 70 (24 hours). This helps us do our job, protect everyone’s safety and get the roads back to normal.

If you breakdown or are involved in a crash you should: turn your hazard lights on move your vehicle to the nearest emergency lane or to the side of the road (if possible) call emergency services if required (remember the rules about mobile phones and driving) call 13 11 70 or use a freeway help phone if you can not move your vehicle off the road and it is blocking traffic only get out of your vehicle if it is safe to do so never try to cross a major road on foot stand as far from the road as possible when waiting or exchanging details, never in-between or beside vehicles close to moving traffic always wear your seat belt when waiting for help in your car

Not a roadside assist or towing service
The IRS does not provide towing services or mechanical repairs to vehicles.

More information
IRS has patrolled Melbourne’s freeways since 1990 attending road blockages and assisting with traffic flow. The IRS attends up to 50 incidents daily and over 10,000 incidents each year. For examples of the service in action read the Incident Response Service case studies.

Feedback on the service can be provided to VicRoads by calling our Customer Service Centre on 13 11 71 or via the feedback and enquries online form.