Law enforcement officials in North Carolina are now authorized to remove, without liability, commercial truck cargo and other personal property interfering with traffic flow.

The newly-enacted “ Quick Clearance" Act requires that vehicle operators involved in minor, non-injury crashes on a highway are required to move their vehicles to the shoulder of the road as soon as possible.

The part of the law concerning liability was included in order to squelch concerns about liability when moving cargo from a crash site. This concern often led to delays in moving cargo from road surfaces, impeding traffic and emergency vehicles.

"This law will make the fire departments, rescue departments and law enforcement more efficient because they will not have to be on site as long," said Sgt. Jimmy Burns of the North Carolina Highway Patrol. “Without the law, emergency personnel often spend a long period of time at the scene of an accident just spinning their wheels."