New Year’s Day saw a twice fatal wrong-way crash on the Garden State Parkway early on. As many of us wait for the full details- we wonder how motorists often go the wrong way on a road. There are varying statistics on this very subject, and more often than not- impairment from an intoxicant is not always the case. The reasons motorists aren’t paying attention is for a different story, but it’s a larger problem for other states.
Below is the story from Arizona’s Department of Transportation about their freeway pilot program. Arizona is using thermal-imaging cameras and variable message signs (VMS) to try to alert drivers about real-time incidents of wrong way driving. As soon as a vehicle enters a ramp the wrong way, lights illuminate any flash on their ramp. Then if they still proceed the wrong way, VMS instantly alert existing travelers on the freeway of the danger- and suggest they exit promptly.
A big step forward for ADOT’s wrong-way detection and warning system
7/6/2020, By: Doug Nintzel / ADOT Communications
The use of thermal detection cameras to spot wrong-way vehicles on freeway off-ramps along Phoenix-area freeways will continue to grow, especially after the cameras have worked well as part of a pilot project along Interstate 17.
As one example, you can look ahead to significant stretches of Loop 101 currently being widened to also have the thermal camera wrong-way vehicle alert technology added.
ADOT began operating the I-17 alert system in January 2018 along the 15-mile stretch of the Black Canyon Freeway between the I-10 “Stack” interchange near downtown and the Loop 101 interchange in the north Valley.
Thermal cameras were the key components installed to detect wrong way vehicles and immediately alert both ADOT and the Arizona Department of Public Safety so troopers can respond faster than waiting for 911 calls and operators in the ADOT Traffic Operations Center can quickly post warning messages for other drivers with just the push of a button.
ADOT’s I-17 system, a first-in-the-nation effort, was designed to reduce the risks created by often-impaired wrong-way drivers. Our assessment found the thermal cameras are very reliable in detecting those vehicles.
ADOT’s look at data from the I-17 project shows more than 100 wrong-way drivers set off alerts when thermal cameras detected their vehicles. More than 85 percent of the drivers made a self-correcting turn on an exit ramp without entering the freeway. The I-17 system includes specialized background-illuminated signs along off-ramps that light up toward a potential wrong-way driver in an effort to get that driver’s attention.
While the I-17 system went through testing, ADOT converted thermal cameras already in use for traffic signal timing so they also can detect wrong-way vehicles. Cameras at Loop 101 interchanges between 59th Avenue and Bell Road in the northwest Valley were among those set for such detections.
The majority of interchanges along the new Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway have thermal cameras set up to send wrong-way vehicle alerts to ADOT and AZDPS. Wrong-way vehicle technology projects are underway along Loop 303 from I-10 in the West Valley on up to the I-17 interchange in north Phoenix.
Thermal cameras also will be in place at off-ramps along the Loop 101 Price Freeway between Baseline Road and Loop 202 in Chandler and the Loop 101 Pima Freeway between I-17 and Princess Drive in the north Valley. The wrong-way vehicle alert technology was added to the ongoing widening projects taking place in those areas.
ADOT will pursue opportunities to deploy thermal cameras along other Valley freeways as well as state highways, starting with rural interstates, as funding and necessary fiber-optic infrastructure become available. ADOT’s assessment of the I-17 pilot system also recommends installing the illuminated, flashing “Wrong Way” signs at urban locations as funding allows.
While we will continue to stress that technology can’t keep a wrong-way driver from getting behind the wheel, nor can it physically prevent a crash, it continues to show that it is an important tool to use to alert law enforcement and warn other freeway drivers when a wrong-way vehicle is detected.
Tags: Wrong-Way Vehicle SystemWrong Way DriverI-17 Black Canyon FreewayAMS-Safety
New Jersey is too cheap to invest in something like this. We can barely afford to fix all the pot holes and wonky pave jobs. Would love to see this happen though! Fingers crossed ????
Rachel Spader
Oh, we have the money. It’s just which politician wants to allocate funding to where it needs to go.
Ocean County Scanner News it’ll take someone close to a politician dying in a wrong way crash before that happens, unfortunately. Tragedy fuels change, but only if it affects the right people ????♀️
Rachel Spader the system is in place already but the out of the box thinking has not been realized. These sign boards are everywhere now
Unfortunately, I think drivers would ignore signs. Lots ignore lane closures, construction, accident ahead signs and take no action until they have to squeeze into your lane – in front of you. And most roads are very congested.
Carolyn Thompson I read the signs and if it could save my life for my children I would take it.
Rachel Spader If the have the big electronics for boards Amber alerts and other messages they can use those. They have one on rt 70 in Marlton.
Rachel Spader always the way unfortunately.
Rachel Jersey isn’t too cheap…it’s motivated by political gain. Just like every other state. The US is not the beacon of innovation and development that it once was.
Carolyn Thompson for some you are probably right but at least these signs would give people a chance to react. Those poor folks yesterday had no idea this girl was heading towards them until it was too late. ????
Rachel Spader very true!
Well if the signs on the parkway tell you to mask up at rest areas they certainly can tell you about a wrong way driver.
Just pay attention. Simple.
Denise Focker tell that to the girl that drove down the parkway yesterday killing her self and two innocent people. In Barnegat
Patrick Schuler wasn’t it two deaths total?
Lori Stallone Alberda maybe I miss read I though it was two additional plus driver but I could be wrong. Still a shame either way. Driver at fault was only 21.
Patrick Schuler 24
Patrick Schuler it was two deaths. A 24 yr old who caused the accident and a 64 yr old victim.
Real shame
It’s Murphy !!!
All they need now are targeted RPG’s to take the idiots out…
Wrong way spike strips which are spikes that will pop all 4 tires if driven over in the wrong direction. Put them every couple miles in hot spots its worth the test and it makes the car stop because they have 4 flat tires if not slow them down
David McCallum my husband was saying this exact same thing
Or they can make the car even more out of control making them more dangerous to oncoming traffic
Or they can make the car even more out of control making them more dangerous to oncoming traffic
Lynette Marie or dead stop the car so it cant move, oncoming traffic will still crash into it.
OHHHHH…….. These Comments are gonna BE Good!!!
Angelo Eppolito folks can be savage!
The are to busy sticking the money in there pocket
Thank you for posting this. It’s a wonderful idea that could certainly help prevent a tragedy like the one on the GSP.
It’s really not that big a problem. Not every tragedy needs a solution. You can’t prevent everything.
Bry Pino i’m not sure if you would say that if it was someone you knew or loved.
Lauren Agnelli ok. Thanks for your 2 cents
Bry Pino just like nobody asked for yours!
Ethan Peirson you’re the definition of hypocrisy
Ethan Peirson
It cost AZ $4 million detection and warning system’s cameras were placed along a 15-mile stretch of Interstate 17. NJ would just raise the tolls to cover that cost.
Tim Reid And in NJ it would cost $40 million ????
Gary Davis Absolutely true! And 40 millions is a very conservatives estimate
Gary Davis they’d just raise the toll booth prices so we have to pay for it.
And gas taxes
Tim it wouldn’t cost us anything if people would stop drinking and driving but instead of money it cost innocent lives… i don’t care of tolls go up to potentially save a life
What planet are you on. People stop Drinking, how about stop doing drugs too? How about just paying attention?As far as raising the tolls. They just went up as did gas. What about the people that commute to work on the Pkwy? What about the trucks that bring everything we buy. You raise tolls and it hurts us all in the long run.
No the problem is most people here don’t deserve a drivers license
Or are too busy on their phones to look up and read the signs anyway
What about one spikes at exit ramps. Enter an exit ramp and you get four flats.
Gary Davis I was thinking that very thing. You could put them almost anyplace along the road. As long as your going in the correct direction your good to go but. if your heading into the strip it would puncture the tires.
I read someone saw her make an illegal u turn on the median.
Jacki Bruno Ferrara umm….if she made a u-turn, she wouldn’t have been going the wrong way. ????????????
Gary Davis this person from what I’ve been reading whipped a Uturn. They didn’t get on at a wrong way exit.
Kevin Cuthbert or she was twice lol
Kevin Cuthbert it’s stated in articles that witnesses said she made a u turn at one point
Kevin Cuthbert
While this fatal accident is under investigation by the dedicated team at NJSP- we have learned a few things. There are numerous reports of other motorists swerving to avoid this 24 y/o driver between Interchange 81, going south. Some have claimed they witnessed the driver make an illegal U-Turn and head southbound in the northbound lanes.
Straight from their other article.
Kevin Cuthbert Not true she could’ve pulled into the U-turn does it mean she came out the other side and went the wrong way
Parkway U-turns are not typical U-turns they’re not meant for people they are used for State troopers and emergency vehicles only
I guess if you are that messed up, there isn’t much that can be done.
Gary Davis The person in NJ did a Uturn on the Garden State Parkway after they had already entered onto the major highway going in the proper direction.
Gary Davis sometimes emergency responders need to use those ramps
Gary Davis exactly
They need to do this in Tampa Bay. This nonsenses happens about weekly.
It would possibly be cheaper to buy old Phalanx systems from the Navy as they upgrade.
Place em every 5 miles or so. Would only be needed once I bet…
I live in Phoenix now, it happens every day lol
If u can’t pay attention to what way u drive on a pky or any road u don’t need to drive
Daniel Dolan it’s clearly to warn other drivers.
Even if they get the system for it, Jersey can’t do this. Can you imagine that going off on the turnpike or gsp? And everyone’s trying to get off the exit 109, 104, 100 and etc? It’d be mayhem lol
One of the biggest problems in NJ is elderly drivers.
Yet, no one wants to address this issue because they don’t want to be the “bad guy” and take driver’s licenses from geriatrics, who have no business being behind the wheel of a car any longer, and who pose a substantial risk to others on the roadway.
Sure there are capable older drivers, but based on my observations there are MANY who aren’t.
Rick Delmont illegal drivers,phone users ,drunks and druggies are more of a problem then elderly people.
Ellen Fass of course those are problems as well.
Why are you downplaying the danger of the elderly?
It’s weak logic to try and divert attention from the original topic by changing the subject.
Stay on topic.
Rick Delmont Bet you can’t wait to get old. So someone else can pick on your cranky old ass. Drive defensively is what your suppose to do.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9272.html
Ellen Fass elderly drivers do pose a risk.
https://www.caring.com/caregivers/senior-driving/
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/elderly-drivers-are-more-dangerous-than-you-might-think/
Kim Sommerfeld addressing a serious safety issue is not “picking on” elderly drivers.
I’ll never understand how people can laugh and make jokes about these situations. It makes me sick knowing how many people in this world just suck.
I see it all the time on 35 between lavalette and seaside. Idk how you manage to do it but it happens alot over the summer. No one cares to pay attention I guess. Too busy.
Steven Charney probably impaired
Bruce Beyer I’d agree but it’s all hours.
Steven Charney In the summer people drink all day
Bruce Beyer ok you seem to have all the answers chief. Haha
Steven Charney I know, it’s great to be recognized!
Steven Charney the signs suck down here. Its easy to get confused if you aren’t from around here. So for people visiting I can see how it happens often.
Danielle Marie
but just when will they actually know that the minute before the crash or after the fact that it already happened ?
It’s usually pretty difficult to enter and exit ramp
Bruce Beyer Not if there are no cars getting off at the time you want to try it. There’s nothing physically to stop you. In this case though I don’t think that’s what happened.
Gary Davis Are usually have to turn pretty sharp it’s not easy
I don’t know what parts of the Parkway you are familiar with but at exits 77, 74, 69, 67, 58, 44 etc… It’s a simple turn down the ramp in the wrong direction if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Gary Davis all I know is you got to actually go through a lot of trouble to do it
Bruce Beyer No, not really. At the exits I listed it’s just as easy to turn down the wrong way as the right way. That’s why they put up big red signs that say “ WRONG WAY”.
Gary Davis I was coming off the parkway at exit 77nb and a red car turned onto the exit ramp. I laid on the horn but she just kept going. This was the beginning of December. I was shaken up. I know I didn’t call 911. Should have but I did just pass a trooper on the parkway with someone pulled over.
The car didn’t enter on the exit ramp. From what the article said they made an illegal U turn on the parkway.
Brianne Kabil I know this doesn’t look to be a ramp issue. Anyone to actually make a U turn on the Parkway must really be messed up.
Gary Davis sadly from some of the articles some are saying a suicide mission. Sad for all involved. Not passing any judgment.
I think every 8th of a mile should be red and a green light like a toll boths and if everything is ok it’s green if it is red means it’s triggered bc driven the wrong way everyone be on look out and stop get on shoulder
Some witnesses said she made a U turn when she got on the parkway
Can’t wait for the toxicology report
Any word on how? Did they leave the rest stop the wrong way. ?
Chris Smyth on another post someone said the car got on going north and did a u turn right in front of them
Teri Duffell Wavra wth. Sad
This dont happen often around here and it is not guaranteed its going to work each situation is different .but I like the spike strip comment on the ramp , that will stop them
I think it was probably intentional. A lot of people are cracking up these days
Those signs are 10 miles apart wouldn’t work
I heard accounts of other motorists calling 911 to alert authorities of person going the wrong way. Just a horrible tragedy
Why did the Jackson article not state “waiting for more details”?