MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – As part of a statewide wrong-way driving safety initiative, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is expanding the use of detection and alert systems aimed at stopping drivers before they enter freeways in the wrong direction.
WisDOT officials say wrong-way crashes are rare but often severe, typically involving multiple vehicles at high speeds.
“You know, this issue has been ongoing for many years,” said Brian Porter, traffic engineering and safety section chief at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. “I think these crashes, they’re very tragic. Again, they’re often severe crashes, multiple drivers.”
Porter said data shows most wrong-way crashes happen late at night and frequently involve impaired drivers, particularly on freeways and divided highways.
“A majority of the wrong way crashes we see does have impairment,” Porter said. “So as far as the number of fatalities, we’re seeing about 1 to 2% of our total fatalities statewide are the result of wrong way drivers. So again, the crashes are rare, but they are very severe. When they happen.”
As part of the initiative, WisDOT recently installed 10 additional wrong-way driver alert systems across the state. Three of those systems are located in Dane County, including one along the Beltline, one near East Washington Avenue and Highway 30, and one in the Middleton area.
“As a driver approaches the ramp and as they’re about to get on, if they do go the wrong way, there’s a radar that triggers that vehicle, a camera that confirms the vehicle’s driving the wrong way,” Porter said. “That driver will see two large do not enter signs, oversized do not enter signs, two large wrong way signs, LED borders on those signs.”
Porter said the technology also alerts WisDOT’s traffic management center and law enforcement, allowing officials to warn other drivers and respond quickly.
“We have the message boards on the freeways and if we identify a wrong way driver, we are putting up a message on nearby message boards.”
Porter said while engineering solutions are important, driver behavior plays a significant role in preventing wrong-way crashes.
“WisDOT’s doing what we can to better engineer our roads, but obviously the driver plays a big role here,” Porter said. “We need everyone’s help on this. You know, drivers need to drive sober. They need to buckle up, put their phones down, and follow those signs.”
WisDOT says it continues to monitor crash data and evaluate where additional wrong-way detection systems could be installed in the future.
If you encounter a vehicle going the wrong way on a road:Use caution and reduce your speed.Safely move your vehicle to an area of the road away from the wrong-way vehicleCall 911 and report the location of the wrong-way driver.WisDOT can activate available traffic cameras along state highways to view wrong-way drivers if they are reported or detected. Available dynamic message signs are also used to warn other motorists on that section of highway.
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