State Action
2023 Legislation
Four states--Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts and Washington—introduced or enacted legislation in 2023 to address wrong-way driving.
In January 2023, Connecticut state Rep. Quentin Williams was struck and killed by a wrong-way driver hours after being sworn in for his third term in the legislature. The tragedy spurred significant legislative action in the state, leading to the introduction of at least nine bills on wrong-way driving. The legislature enacted a bill (HB 6746) that requires the Department of Transportation to implement wrong-way driving countermeasures, including detection and notification systems on at least 120 high-risk highway exit ramps, rumble strips on exit ramps to alert wrong-way drivers and a public awareness campaign to alert the public on actions to take when encountering a vehicle driving in the wrong direction. The bill also requires driver education programs in secondary schools and driver schools to include a discussion on reducing wrong-way drivers. The other eight bills introduced focused on implementing wrong-way driving countermeasures and public awareness but failed to pass.
Ohio enacted a bill (HB 23) which appropriates up to $50,000 to contract a third-party service to conduct a wrong-way driving study across the state. The study will collect data at certain locations to understand incorrect driving patterns and other factors that could lead to wrong-way driving. The results of the study may be used to implement wrong-way driving interventions to prevent or mitigate occurrences of wrong-way driving.
Massachusetts (HB 3435) introduced a bill that would require the Department of Transportation, alongside the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, to adopt and implement a program to mitigate the effects of wrong-way driving in the state. The program may include new highway safety technology, changes to highway design and capital improvements. The ways and means house and senate committees and house and senate co-chairs of the joint committee on transportation must receive the details of the program and make it publicly available by June 30, 2024. As of June 2023, the bill is pending.
Washington enacted a transportation appropriations bill (HB 1125),which directs the Washington Transportation Commission to review strategies and technologies implemented in other states used to prevent and respond to wrong-way crashes.
State DOT Action
State departments of transportation in states such as Arizona, Delaware and Florida have also taken recent action to implement programs and conduct research to drive down wrong-way driving events.
Arizona (A.R.S. § 28-694) enacted a law in 2018 requiring wrong-way driving offenders to complete traffic survival school educational sessions and pay a $500 fine. To prevent such incidents, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) piloted the use of illuminated warning signs and thermal detection cameras in the Phoenix Metro Area from 2018 to 2019. Whenever a camera detected a wrong-way driver, ADOT and the Department of Public Safety received an alert to dispatch troopers to the vehicle and activate highway “wrong way” alert signs. The pilot showed that 88% of drivers self-corrected on an exit ramp before entering the freeway. ADOT has kept the cameras in place and is working to deploy more wrong-way detection systems in certain roadway corridors statewide.
The Federal Highway Administration recognized ADOT’s efforts by granting the agency the Infrastructure and Operational Improvements Award for the wrong-way driver detection system in 2019. ADOT also continues to focus on infrastructure improvements, such as larger “wrong-way” and “Do Not Enter” signs to deter wrong-way drivers.
The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) implemented a wrong-way driving pilot program in 2023 in response to an increase in wrong-way driving crashes in 2022, when seven crashes claimed 12 lives. Specifically, the agency is testing a wrong-way driving detection and alert system on an off-ramp on State Route 1. When the alert system detects wrong-way vehicles, it causes red lights to flash on the “wrong-way” and “do not enter” signs, and the two installed cameras alert DelDOT’s transportation management center to dispatch state police and put a message on signs to alert nearby drivers. The Department of Transportation plans to monitor the system and evaluate its effectiveness.
Did You Know?
- Drivers license holders from a different state are less likely to be wrong-way drivers, perhaps because they may be more cautious due to their unfamiliarity with local roadways.
- Installing flashing signs alerting drivers they are driving the wrong-way on a highway corridor in San Antonio, Texas, resulted in a 38% decrease in wrong-way driving events.
- State agencies have learned that a range of countermeasures to mitigate wrong-way driving are effective and generally low-cost; however, these factors depend on roadway characteristics, land use and demographics.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s Wrong-Way Driving Initiative conducts research on wrong-way driving which supports the implementation of countermeasures to prevent wrong-way driving in the state. The research includes a statewide wrong-way crash study that evaluated recent wrong-way crashes such as common driving conditions, drivers and high crash locations, as well as reviews of various countermeasures. The initiative also published other studies including research testing and evaluating freeway wrong-way driving detection systems, and a comparison of countermeasures for reducing wrong-way driving entries on a highway or street designed for through traffic. The initiative also found 520 wrong-way driving hotspots and determined that the “wrong-way sign” highlighted by light-emitting diodes (LED) was the most effective countermeasure. Finally, the initiative includes an education component to increase awareness of wrong-way driving crashes and how drivers can respond to a wrong-way driver.