Technology to deter wrong-way incursions

[Vincent]

Entering on the exit ramps is problem everywhere. In Oregon we put Do Not Enter signs at the intersection, followed by Wrong Way signs about halfway down the exit ramp. Still, people occasionally get "confused." Hopefully FDOT's active warning system will prevent a few crashes.

I wonder what specific type of technology FDOT is using to detect wrong-way vehicles. It looks like they have a couple pendant cameras at the sign - are they doing pixel tracking? Or just using the cameras for confirmation/post-alert analysis?

And are those RRFB light bars on the wrong way sign? I thought those were only for pedestrian crossings? Is FDOT experimenting?

[Pete from Boston]

"Wrong Way"?

How would they know where we're headed?!

[roadman]

"Wrong Way"?

How would they know where we're headed?!

"He says we're going the wrong way."

"Oh, he's drunk.  How does he know which way we're going."

From Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

[Pete from Boston]

"Wrong Way"?

How would they know where we're headed?!

"He says we're going the wrong way."

"Oh, he's drunk.  How does he know which way we're going."

From [I Planes, Trains, and Automobiles[/I]

I was close.  It's the thought that counts. 

[Scott5114]

Death is an excellent low-cost technology that prevents wrong-way drivers from ever making that mistake again.

[briantroutman]

Death is an excellent low-cost technology that prevents wrong-way drivers from ever making that mistake again.

I recently designed funeral programs for a business associate whose 28-year-old niece was killed by a wrong way driver on I-215 in Las Vegas. The niece was sober–the drunk wrong-way driver who hit her escaped with only minor injuries. He'll live to make the mistake again.

[Pete from Boston]

Does anyone here recall wrong-way drivers being a recurring problem on I-84 in New Britain, Connecticut, before the early 1980s?  I remember hearing that a counterintuitive ramp setup somewhere around 72, presumably since fixed, was a contributing factor.

[UCFKnights]

Why is it a big issue in Florida and nowhere else?  Is it due to design issues with the intersections or a higher density of incompetent motorists and poor driver's education?

If it's the latter, the technology is not the issue.

Its a combination of a lot of issues. Another thing I've noticed quite a bit in the Central Florida region not mentioned here is the diluting of the meaning of the DO NOT ENTER signs that usually indicate not to go down a street. I've also noticed they're used in place of a NO LEFT TURN or AUTHORIZED VEHICLE ONLY very frequently. There is also a lot of poor placement, such as directly in the center of the median so its hard to tell which direction it is for.

That's a genuine issue.  In the West Coast, we do use 'DO NOT ENTER' for authorized vehicle use, but there's usually a supplementary 'EXCEPT ...'. 

In Washington, we put a DO NOT ENTER sign right at the intersection, and then up the off-ramp, there's a couple of 'WRONG WAY' (reassurance?) signs.  California groups the 'DO NOT ENTER' sign and 'WRONG WAY' signs together, but also puts 'ONE WAY' signs pointing towards the intersection.  Apart from that, on one way streets in the Pacific Northwest, we actually use DO NOT ENTER sparingly.

I lived in South Florida before Central Florida and I at least never noticed abuse and poorly placed signs. But my time in Central Florida definitely taught me that Do Not Enter is a sign to ignore, as its usually inaccurate or portraying a very low priority message. I've since moved away, but they also sometimes did wrong way reassurance signs, but they would sometimes put them on the jersey barrier that separate the exit/entry ramps, so the wrong way would seemingly be just as much for the right way as the wrong way. One really has to assume if the wrong way sign was to one's left, the sign was likely wrong. If its  to the right, it's likely right, but that is not how we're trained on that sign.

I can't find where now, but I've also seen a do not enter with a local traffic only sign. One ramp had a do not enter sign, which did get removed thankfully after tons of complaints, facing away from the intersection on the entrance ramp. Literally everyone's first time there, when making that left, would ask if they're going the wrong way, even though they weren't as a result of a sign facing away from them without any signs facing towards them.

I really wish they would ban placing the signs at an angle intended to only be read by traffic in one direction. The Florida wind is strong and can make them twist a few degrees. and it often goes unnoticed.

[cpzilliacus]

San Diego Union-Tribune: Fatal wrong-way crashes lead to freeway changes - Caltrans improving off-ramp signs after 13 died on San Diego freeways

Wrong-way drivers killed 13 people on San Diego freeways last year, an alarming number that has prompted state officials to take new measures to keep motorists going the right way.

Caltrans is conducting a pilot program this year that calls for improved warning devices, such as bigger "wrong way"  signs, flashing lights and sensors, on off-ramps along Interstate 15 through much of San Diego County. Researchers will study what systems work to reduce the number of drivers who enter the freeway on those off-ramps.

Authorities say most wrong-way driving crashes occur after midnight and involve drunken drivers who don't realize they've entered the freeway on an exit ramp. Smaller numbers of wrong-way drivers are elderly, suicidal, or trying to evade law officers.

[noelbotevera]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKoJY6s3ni4

This is the perfect technology to stop wrong-way drivers! Sarcasm, boy! Can't you see?

[cpzilliacus]

This is the perfect technology to stop wrong-way drivers! Sarcasm, boy! Can't you see?

The drivers that would "benefit" from that are probably too drunk (or have other brain issues) to take advantage of it.

[Jet380]

This is the perfect technology to stop wrong-way drivers! Sarcasm, boy! Can't you see?

https://youtu.be/d6AnXi2N_do?t=377

[Max Rockatansky]

Considering the article is siting roads in Florida I would suspect that it has a lot to do with the terrible ramp designs for the tollways and older sections of Interstates in Tampa/Orlando that are being replaced currently.  Just have a look at the interchange for US 17/92/441, FL 528 and Florida's Turnpike....I don't know how FDOT thought any of that was logical in the slightest.  It seems like the Turnpike especially is designed to wind people around and around around and around for traffic back up at the toll plazas and even sometimes the on/off ramp are literally feet from each other.

The one I never understood that was fairly recent was the rash of wrong way accidents on I-17 in Phoenix.  It seemed like there was several a year on that Interstate for a couple years in there.  The only thing that I could think of that it was the older part of the freeway that as part of AZ 69 but even still they had fairly logical ramp designs and the drivers were hammered.