For the safety of the traveling public and to ensure that plow, salt and sand trucks can effectively work to clear roads, NCDOT is working closely with the State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement to identify and move abandoned vehicles that are blocking travel lanes or constitutes an immediate safety hazard.

Under the current state of emergency and North Carolina’s Quick Clearance Law, NCDOT’s IMAP (Incident Management Assistance Patrol) trucks are moving cars to the shoulder when possible. In other cases, the Highway Patrol and local law enforcement are coordinating with towing companies to have the vehicles removed.

Troopers, National Guard soldiers, other law enforcement and IMAP crews will be checking all abandoned vehicles to ensure they are not occupied. Drivers whose vehicles are abandoned within a city limits need to call their local police department. If the vehicle is off the roadway and is not considered a safety hazard, it will NOT immediately be towed.

For drivers to locate abandoned vehicles outside city limits, please visit NCDPS – Towed / Stored Vehicle Search.

NCDOT crews will be working to clear roads and restore safe driving conditions as quickly as possible as the impending winter storm approaches.