Wrong-way driving continues to threaten roadway safety across North America and beyond, causing over 1,700 fatalities in 2018 in the U.S. alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

While wrong-way drivers receive much of the focus of safety countermeasures, maximizing effectiveness requires a more holistic approach. By leveraging countermeasures aimed at deterring wrong-way drivers and warning right-way drivers, communities can further reduce these deadly collisions and save lives.

The leading countermeasures that combine to accomplish this can be categorized by their main purpose:

1. To Warn and Inform Right-Way Drivers

When a wrong-way driver is barreling down the highway, every second counts for right-way drivers. Empower them to protect themselves and their passengers by providing advance awareness of a wrong-way driver with use of a dynamic message sign (DMS).

Look for a DMS that deploys state-of-the-art technology with full-matrix capabilities that can display full-color legends. These signs have heightened legibility, maximizing the recognition and understanding of regulatory, warning or guidance information.

In addition, use a roadside NTCIP controller to perform message activation, diagnostics and troubleshooting remotely. With flexibility to access and control up to 16 DMS from one controller, alert messaging can be sent to a central controller and broadcast to multiple DMS.

2. To Alert Wrong-Way Drivers and Maximize the Opportunity for Self-Correction

Detecting wrong-way drivers, alerting them that they are going the wrong way and notifying law enforcement in real time requires an innovative and robust solution like the TAPCO Wrong-Way Alert System. A decade of field research, upgrades and expert engineering have made this system the gold standard for many departments of transportation and other government agencies.

Wrong-way alert systems are a popular wrong-way driving solution. They work by detecting wrong-way vehicles using a variety of methods. Detection of wrong-way vehicles then activates flashing LED-enhanced warning alerts, which command drivers’ attention and warn them they are traveling the wrong way.

Wrong-way drivers then have the opportunity to self-correct. After all, the goal of the system is to remediate the behavior before it progresses any further.

Then, a high-efficiency LED illuminator and high-definition camera activate to provide high-quality visual verification of the wrong-way event.

If wrong-way drivers continue in the wrong direction past a pre-determined point, most wrong-way alert systems monitor them with thermal sensors and a high-speed camera, ensuring accuracy in all weather and light conditions. In addition, a high-priority alert is transmitted to agencies via cellular modem or fiber optic cable.

Via BlinkLink® or an API integration with an agency’s Advanced Traffic Management Software (ATMS), email and text alerts can be sent in real time to law enforcement or traffic operators that include vehicle information, the location and the time of the event. This data enables responders to take the necessary action for a safe offender interception, as well as identify behaviors and determine wrong-way driving hotspots over time.

3. To Send In-Vehicle Alerts to Both Right-Way and Wrong-Way Drivers

Take advantage of the growing popularity of connected vehicles by leveraging connected vehicle interface (CVI) technology to improve safety.

For right-way drivers, this means being alerted of an approaching wrong-way driver. For wrong-way drivers, this means receiving a warning to stop and self-correct.

Look for a network-agnostic CVI compatible with dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) or cellular RSUs that can connect with advance traffic management systems to provide traffic managers with actionable system data.

Combining these three categories of countermeasures is the most effective way to protect both right-way and wrong-way drivers. Consider which categories are lacking in your community and what areas can benefit from a major safety upgrade — before it’s too late.

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