Wrong-way driver warning systems

[roadfro]

MOD NOTE: The first few posts here were split off from the general "California" thread on the Pacific Southwest board, where the video post was made. I thought it might be a topic that could generate greater discussion on the Traffic Control board. –Roadfro.

Here's a cool video on Caltrans wrong-way signs and two-way pavement reflectors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tcgZlYNUus&ab_channel=CaltransVideo

I think a lot of agencies are looking at these wrong way driver systems now.

The two-way pavement reflectors are nothing new (although I don't think I've seen a yellow/red combo before). But the extent to which Caltrans is using them for wrong way emphasis on off ramps is noteworthy. It is a relatively inexpensive countermeasure especially for areas that already employ raised pavement markers to just add more, but can add a bit in maintenance since the reflectors need to be replaced every so often because they get dirty or dislodged.

Nevada DOT has done a couple of pilots with active wrong way driver detection systems on off ramps, and now has at least two extensive systems in place in Reno: every off ramp on I-80 from the California state line at Verdi to Keystone Ave (exit 12), and every off ramp along US 395 from Oddie Blvd (exit 69) up to California state line at Bordertown (exit 83). I know there's also one or two test locations down in the Las Vegas area as well. NDOT's warning system differs in that it uses two sets of "Wrong Way" signs (first set in normal location at lower-than-normal height, then a second set at normal height but further up the ramp) and uses RRFB-like flash units with red LEDs above and below each sign (example at US 395 SB Parr Blvd exit).*

After watching that video, I'm actually most intrigued by an item teased at the end: the pavement markings that show a red "do not enter" or red arrows embedded within white marking that only shows the red elements to a wrong way driver. That is really interesting, and I would like to see more about that.


*EDIT: I have learned since making this post that the red RRFB units NDOT is using for this warning system are part of an FHWA/MUTCD-approved experimentation 4(09)-56, approved in 2016 and amended with additional locations in 2020.

[jdbx]

Here's a cool video on Caltrans wrong-way signs and two-way pavement reflectors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tcgZlYNUus&ab_channel=CaltransVideo

I think a lot of agencies are looking at these wrong way driver systems now.

The two-way pavement reflectors are nothing new (although I don't think I've seen a yellow/red combo before). But the extent to which Caltrans is using them for wrong way emphasis on off ramps is noteworthy. It is a relatively inexpensive countermeasure especially for areas that already employ raised pavement markers to just add more, but can add a bit in maintenance since the reflectors need to be replaced every so often because they get dirty or dislodged.

Nevada DOT has done a couple of pilots with active wrong way driver detection systems on off ramps, and now has at least two extensive systems in place in Reno: every off ramp on I-80 from the California state line at Verdi to Keystone Ave (exit 12), and every off ramp along US 395 from Oddie Blvd (exit 69) up to California state line at Bordertown (exit 83). I know there's also one or two test locations down in the Las Vegas area as well. NDOT's warning system differs in that it uses two sets of "Wrong Way" signs (first set in normal location at lower-than-normal height, then a second set at normal height but further up the ramp) and uses RRFB-like flash units with red LEDs above and below each sign (example at US 395 SB Parr Blvd exit).

After watching that video, I'm actually most intrigued by an item teased at the end: the pavement markings that show a red "do not enter" or red arrows embedded within white marking that only shows the red elements to a wrong way driver. That is really interesting, and I would like to see more about that.

A very simple measure that I saw when I was driving in Arizona recently was that large "WRONG WAY" signs are mounted regularly to overpasses along US-60 through Mesa, positioned in such a way to be above the inside lane of both carriageways, facing away from the direction of travel.  It looked like a relatively inexpensive, but probably highly effective way to quickly alert wrong way drivers.

[Plutonic Panda]

Are there any systems that directly alert police a wrong way driver has been detected?

[roadfro]

Are there any systems that directly alert police a wrong way driver has been detected?

I'm not sure if it directly alerts police, but NDOT's active warning systems here in Reno supposedly send a signal to the local traffic operations center if they are tripped. Since those stretches of freeway also have traffic cameras every 1/3-mile or so, traffic ops can check to verify and then put up an alert message on VMSs on the freeway upstream of the ramp where detected if needed.

I was actually exiting a ramp a few nights ago where the warning lights were going off. Didn't see a wrong-way driver, so not sure if it was a malfunction or if a driver corrected their mistake before I arrived. There wasn't a message on the upstream freeway VMSs.

[STLmapboy]

I'm not surprised that CA is the one doing this, being the state that puts SIGNAL AHEAD, STOP AHEAD, and KEEP CLEAR on its roadway surfaces.

[UCFKnights]

Are there any systems that directly alert police a wrong way driver has been detected?

My understanding is the wrong way driver system in Orlando automatically notifies FHP. It also automatically places messages on all the VMS boards. I've seen it a few times, but never actually seen a wrong way driver.

Orlando uses a red version of the RRFBs on their wrong way signs rather then leds integrated into the signs. I think thats quite a bit more visible and unusual then the LEDs CalTrans demonstrated in that video. Here's an example: https://www.google.com/maps/@28.4518305,-80.9796,3a,89.5y,290.87h,77.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sy8-izO3R39EekhEv4t18Mg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Outside of the VMSs, I don't think there is any other warning signs to correct facing drivers.

The red reflectors (including the yellow/red) have been standard in Florida on divided roads and highway ramps for as long as I can remember. Although most roads do not include yellow reflectors except in certain areas (such as ramps).

[US 89]

Doesn't Arizona have a wrong-way driver alert system on some of the Phoenix-area freeways?

[Max Rockatansky]

Doesn't Arizona have a wrong-way driver alert system on some of the Phoenix-area freeways?

I believe that ADOT put something in on I-17 after a ton of wrong way drivers on the Black Canyon Freeway.

[zachary_amaryllis]

i was driving down i-25 one day... and my roommate calls me to tell me he just saw on the news someone driving the wrong way on i-25 at exit 252.

*i'm* near exit 252. so i look around.. and its not just one guy driving the wrong way... its EVERYONE!

terrible. i'll show myself out.

[MCRoads]

I have some red/white RPMs, but I haven't seen any red/yellow RPMs, and I certainly don't have any.

A very simple measure that I saw when I was driving in Arizona recently was that large "WRONG WAY" signs are mounted regularly to overpasses along US-60 through Mesa, positioned in such a way to be above the inside lane of both carriageways, facing away from the direction of travel.  It looked like a relatively inexpensive, but probably highly effective way to quickly alert wrong way drivers.

I would like to se an example of that.

[roadfro]

A very simple measure that I saw when I was driving in Arizona recently was that large "WRONG WAY" signs are mounted regularly to overpasses along US-60 through Mesa, positioned in such a way to be above the inside lane of both carriageways, facing away from the direction of travel.  It looked like a relatively inexpensive, but probably highly effective way to quickly alert wrong way drivers.

I would like to se an example of that.

Doesn't appear to be anything revolutionary...literally oversized "WRONG WAY" signs mounted overhead on overpasses every so often. But still a low-cost measure above and beyond the minimum.

Example I found on Google Maps: US 60 WB, looking backwards at Superstition Springs Blvd overpass

[TEG24601]

Why can we not just install tire slashers on on-ramps?  Especially HOV on-ramps which, at least in Washington, seem to cause the most confusion.

[roadfro]

Why can we not just install tire slashers on on-ramps?  Especially HOV on-ramps which, at least in Washington, seem to cause the most confusion.

Well, you'd need the tire slashers on the off ramps to prevent the wrong way drivers... 

But in actuality, those are not really designed to be taken at speed, which is why you only really see them at places where you expect vehicles to be driving slowly anyway (like exiting a pay parking lot). And there may be some cases where a vehicle may need to legitimately travel in the wrong direction on an off ramp–maintenance vehicles, emergency evacuations, etc. And I imagine the DOT would be at fault if for any reason the devices punctured tires of a driver actually going the right way, so there's probably potential liability issues as well.

[TEG24601]

Why can we not just install tire slashers on on-ramps?  Especially HOV on-ramps which, at least in Washington, seem to cause the most confusion.

Well, you'd need the tire slashers on the off ramps to prevent the wrong way drivers... 

But in actuality, those are not really designed to be taken at speed, which is why you only really see them at places where you expect vehicles to be driving slowly anyway (like exiting a pay parking lot). And there may be some cases where a vehicle may need to legitimately travel in the wrong direction on an off ramp–maintenance vehicles, emergency evacuations, etc. And I imagine the DOT would be at fault if for any reason the devices punctured tires of a driver actually going the right way, so there's probably potential liability issues as well.

This is why they would remain fully retracted until a wrong-way driver is detected, then deployed.  Better the cost for paying for new tires, than being sued for allowing a wrong-way driver onto the road.

[GaryV]

Why can we not just install tire slashers on on-ramps?  Especially HOV on-ramps which, at least in Washington, seem to cause the most confusion.

Well, you'd need the tire slashers on the off ramps to prevent the wrong way drivers... 

But in actuality, those are not really designed to be taken at speed, which is why you only really see them at places where you expect vehicles to be driving slowly anyway (like exiting a pay parking lot). And there may be some cases where a vehicle may need to legitimately travel in the wrong direction on an off ramp—maintenance vehicles, emergency evacuations, etc. And I imagine the DOT would be at fault if for any reason the devices punctured tires of a driver actually going the right way, so there's probably potential liability issues as well.

This is why they would remain fully retracted until a wrong-way driver is detected, then deployed.  Better the cost for paying for new tires, than being sued for allowing a wrong-way driver onto the road.

You really think that a driver who ignores bright red "Wrong Way" signs will pay any attention to the accompanying "Severe Tire Damage May Occur" sign?

And when the wrong-way driver has multiple blowouts, loses control, flips and dies - how fast do you think the lawyers can get to the courthouse to file?  And they'd probably win, even though the driver might well have gotten into a head-on collision if not stopped.  It doesn't matter that the tire slashers potentially saved a family of five plus grandma. 

[roadfro]

Why can we not just install tire slashers on on-ramps?  Especially HOV on-ramps which, at least in Washington, seem to cause the most confusion.

Well, you'd need the tire slashers on the off ramps to prevent the wrong way drivers... 

But in actuality, those are not really designed to be taken at speed, which is why you only really see them at places where you expect vehicles to be driving slowly anyway (like exiting a pay parking lot). And there may be some cases where a vehicle may need to legitimately travel in the wrong direction on an off ramp–maintenance vehicles, emergency evacuations, etc. And I imagine the DOT would be at fault if for any reason the devices punctured tires of a driver actually going the right way, so there's probably potential liability issues as well.

This is why they would remain fully retracted until a wrong-way driver is detected, then deployed.  Better the cost for paying for new tires, than being sued for allowing a wrong-way driver onto the road.

There's still lots of issues with this, especially in cases of accidental deployment. And it becomes a system that likely has a higher up-front cost with additional needs for annual testing and regular maintenance.

A lot of the wrong way driver countermeasures are looking for relatively inexpensive measures that can be deployed fairly easily.

[Amtrakprod]

To me the coolest thing is what AZ installed. They've connected in PHX they're ramp meters to wrong way systems. So if a wrong way driver is detected, the ramp meters will stick to red, until the wrong way driver passed. This is super smart and I love it.


iPhone

[Dustin DeWinn]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

[Scott5114]

This is for overheight vehicles, but it would work almost as well for wrong-way drivers. Sydney installed a system that, when an overheight vehicle is detected, turns on a water curtain, onto which a giant stop sign is projected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImU1mG7QC4I

The only bad thing is that it's visible going both directions (mirror image coming the other way), and would obscure the view for right-way drivers. But if a wrong-way driver is coming, maybe the right-way drivers should be stopping and pulling over too to avoid the oncoming car.

[fwydriver405]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

Some ramps in Maine and Massachusetts use ENTER HERE signs with an arrow to indicate to drivers where they should enter the freeway.

In the case of the Maine one, the sign has flashing white beacons on the borders of the signs, similar to what MaineDOT does at some STOP, YIELD and SPEED LIMIT signs.

[michravera]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

Some ramps in Maine and Massachusetts use ENTER HERE signs with an arrow to indicate to drivers where they should enter the freeway.

In the case of the Maine one, the sign has flashing white beacons on the borders of the signs, similar to what MaineDOT does at some STOP, YIELD and SPEED LIMIT signs.

The techie in me suggests that cars be improved such that it is more difficult to drive them in the wrong direction. The techie in me also says that there are a number of "$5.00" solutions to the problem on the road. In addition to the red reflectors on the pavement, how putting red reflectors on the back of signs as well? How about putting up negative speed limit signs? How about putting up some "TURN AROUND" signs on the back of other signs

[ErmineNotyours]

One-off, oversized, overhead Wrong Way sign.  This is over an old alignment of road that is now an offramp, and needs to be seen in snowy conditions.  The sign next to it also said Wrong Way according to older Street Views, but has faded.

[MCRoads]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

Some ramps in Maine and Massachusetts use ENTER HERE signs with an arrow to indicate to drivers where they should enter the freeway.

In the case of the Maine one, the sign has flashing white beacons on the borders of the signs, similar to what MaineDOT does at some STOP, YIELD and SPEED LIMIT signs.

The techie in me suggests that cars be improved such that it is more difficult to drive them in the wrong direction. The techie in me also says that there are a number of "$5.00" solutions to the problem on the road. In addition to the red reflectors on the pavement, how putting red reflectors on the back of signs as well? How about putting up negative speed limit signs? How about putting up some "TURN AROUND" signs on the back of other signs

If drivers are already ignoring signs that say things like "DO NOT ENTER" , and, "WRONG WAY" , why would they listen to additional signs?

I think the best solution ms are passive solutions, in which radars detect wrong way drivers, send out a message to SHP, DOT, VMS's, and possibly even to drivers directly through a mobile alert for anyone in the area, but do nothing to actually stop the driver. Any active barrier may cause more harm than good, such as the spike strip example. It may work, but it may also cause unnecessary damage. Parking garages have this same issue, as sometimes the spikes do not lower for vehicles driving the correct way, and cause punctures. Besides, disabling a vehicle on a busy road is a terrible idea anyway.

[roadfro]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

Some ramps in Maine and Massachusetts use ENTER HERE signs with an arrow to indicate to drivers where they should enter the freeway.

In the case of the Maine one, the sign has flashing white beacons on the borders of the signs, similar to what MaineDOT does at some STOP, YIELD and SPEED LIMIT signs.

These instances could be partially mitigated by angling or moving the signage on the median along with other measures. Here's an example from Reno, Nevada, which moves the "do not enter" further back on the median, angles it toward the wrong way side (better facing the left turn traffic, but still visible to oncoming traffic), supplements with a "one way" arrow, and there's also a "freeway entrance" sign package with arrow on the nose of the median and far corner.

[michravera]

This may make me sound incredibly stupid, but sometimes the way WRONG WAY signs are posted on islands, it isn't always clear which side of the road they're pointing towards. Usually it's the right, but not always. And so the WW sign faces you no matter what, and it's not clear which side you should be on.

So....Having an arrow below or to the left/right of the sign might communicate it better. IE (but in red):

Wrong Way ->

Some ramps in Maine and Massachusetts use ENTER HERE signs with an arrow to indicate to drivers where they should enter the freeway.

In the case of the Maine one, the sign has flashing white beacons on the borders of the signs, similar to what MaineDOT does at some STOP, YIELD and SPEED LIMIT signs.

The techie in me suggests that cars be improved such that it is more difficult to drive them in the wrong direction. The techie in me also says that there are a number of "$5.00" solutions to the problem on the road. In addition to the red reflectors on the pavement, how putting red reflectors on the back of signs as well? How about putting up negative speed limit signs? How about putting up some "TURN AROUND" signs on the back of other signs

If drivers are already ignoring signs that say things like "DO NOT ENTER" , and, "WRONG WAY" , why would they listen to additional signs?

I think the best solution ms are passive solutions, in which radars detect wrong way drivers, send out a message to SHP, DOT, VMS's, and possibly even to drivers directly through a mobile alert for anyone in the area, but do nothing to actually stop the driver. Any active barrier may cause more harm than good, such as the spike strip example. It may work, but it may also cause unnecessary damage. Parking garages have this same issue, as sometimes the spikes do not lower for vehicles driving the correct way, and cause punctures. Besides, disabling a vehicle on a busy road is a terrible idea anyway.

It doesn't sound like you and I disagree much. Making cars so that they are harder to drive in the wrong direction or on the wrong side of the road is just an additional safety feature along the lines of Lane Departure Alerts and Lane Tracking Assistance. There needs to be a way to override such assistance and to disable the alerts for a short time (for instance, if you are in a parking lot so close to the road that it appears that you are on it, or you are turning your car around on the side of the road to face the wrong direction to give a jump start).

My point of making the back sides of signs reflect red is that it is a fairly low cost thing just to help the dope get a clue before he kills someone and more things that he sees that don't make sense and try to grab his attention can only help.

I absolutely agree that destroying parts of the car is probably not a good idea. If the dope wakes up to the idea that he is headed in the wrong direction, it will take quite a bit less time to stop or drive off the roadway and turn around than to clean up what is now a disabled vehicle facing the wrong direction in the travel lanes.

Yes, in particularly idiot-prone areas, where either the existing markings and signage, despite best efforts to the contrary, have proved insufficient (and drivers might have frequently used some brain-cancelling chemical assistance), RADAR, traffic camera, phone alerts, VMS, or a transporter beam, whatever. Alert  the cops, alert the other drivers, alert the media, roll an ambulance, call out the Air Force, but nothing fixes a wrong-way driver faster than the wrong-way driver himself (once he gets a clue)!