What technology exists to prevent wrong way driving?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a driver died in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 35 Thursday, KXAN looked into what state agencies have when it comes to technology that is implemented to alert drivers if they are driving the wrong way.

Around 2:15 a.m. Thursday, the Austin Police Department responded to a crash between an 18-wheeler and a small vehicle on I-35 near the Parmer Lane exit.

According to APD, a 911 call was made regarding a wrong-way driver going south on northbound I-35 prior to the crash. Police said the driver heading the wrong way died.

Data collected by the American Automobile Association (AAA) found that there were “2,008 deaths from wrong-way driving crashes on divided highways between 2015 and 2018.” That averages to approximately 500 deaths a year in that time frame.

“When they do happen, they have very serious consequences, because oftentimes they happen in the dark of night, and they’re happening at high speeds, and they come completely unexpected for drivers who are involved,” said Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for AAA Texas.

There have been several technological measures implemented by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) to alert drivers if they are driving the wrong way in past years.

Back in 2019, CTRMA implemented the TAPCO Wrong-Way Alert System on 45 Southwest Toll Road. Cars that are connected to system would be alerted they are going the wrong way. Cars not connected to the system would also be notified by LED-enhanced road signs that would flash if one was going the wrong way.

TxDOT has worked on implementing similar technology in one-way work zones using sensors that would flash a “Wrong Way” sign mounted on a trailer.

“The National Transportation Safety Board also recommends systems that can detect and prevent wrong way driving,” Shupe said. “If we can prevent drivers from entering the highways, from exit ramps, that’s going to go a long way in preventing a lot of the fatalities and serious injuries.”

In an effort to eliminate driver confusion, TxDOT has installed several wrong-way driver detectors at exit ramps along I-35. Four of those are in place along the stretch of the interstate that passes through Austin, including at the northbound exits to St. Johns Avenue and Norwood Park, as well as the southbound exits toward U.S. 290 and U.S. 183.

Equipped with thermal cameras, lights start flashing if a wrong way driver is detected. A notification is then sent directly to TxDOT’s traffic management system to address the situation.

To prevent wrong-way driving, Shupe advocates for a combined approach between technological advancements, public awareness efforts and smart decision making on the part of drivers.

He warns that 60% of wrong-way driving crashes involve an alcohol-impaired driver, and a number of other incidents are caused by driver confusion stemming from old age.

“We need more technological solutions to prevent drivers from getting on the highway going the wrong way to begin with. We need systems and vehicles that prevent impaired drivers from being able to start that vehicle. And you know, we also need educational campaigns, particularly for senior drivers, who are more at risk for becoming confused, just, as their body ages being confused on the roadway.”