Eleven people have been killed in four wrong-way crashes in Connecticut this year. The state’s Department of Transportation has been rolling out new technology to curb wrong-way drivers.
DOT spokesperson Samaia Hernandez said around 60 of the state’s highway exit ramps are now equipped with flashing signs and heat map technology that alerts the department and state police when a driver enters an exit ramp.
“Some of those have resulted in DUIs, but what we're finding is that the system is doing what it's intended to do,” Hernandez said. “It’s encouraging many people to self-correct. So we've so far reported just about 30 self-corrections, and we have those on camera. We see people get on, they’re met with our system, they self-correct, and they get off the highway. So this is potentially saving lives because these are some of the most deadly crashes.”
The technology costs around $115,000 to install per location. The ramps chosen so far have been identified as “high risk” — according to the DOT, more than 230 of the state’s ramps have been given that distinction.
“High risk” means they’re located near bars, have multiple off-ramps in the same location, have a history of wrong-way drivers or have poor lighting.
The state has more than 700 highway ramps. Sixty more are expected to have the technology installed by the end of the year, bringing the total to around 120.
Hernandez said eventually, it could be at everyone.
“We're committed to saving lives. So if that's what it takes, indeed, we are examining ways to add it everywhere,” Hernandez said.
Last year, there were five crashes and seven deaths. In 2022, the most deadly year in recent memory, according to Hernandez, there were 23 deaths in 13 crashes.
In 2023, Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation directing UConn to test directional rumble strips, which cause cars to vibrate and make loud noises when driving the wrong way on them.
Eventually, they could join the flashing lights and heat map detection to deter drivers from driving the wrong way.
