I-Team: New technology to reduce the number of wrong-way crashes

BERNARDSTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Mistaken-way crashes are expanding.

In accordance to the most current info from the AAA Foundation for Website traffic Security, there were being 2,008 fatalities from erroneous-way driving crashes on divided highways nationwide concerning 2015 and 2018. That is up 34{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} from the prior 4 a long time.

During that very same time time period in Massachusetts, there was a 75{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} increase in incorrect-way crashes.

“Wrong-way crashes are extremely dangerous and often fatal and which is mainly because if there is a improper-way crash on a divided freeway, it’s practically normally a head-on crash, which of program, requires a remarkable power and is generally fatal,” mentioned Mary Maguire of AAA Northeast. “When you are driving you are concentration must 100{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} be on the street and on your driving.”

In accordance to AAA study, most mistaken-way crashes include an older driver, a driver who’s by yourself in the car, or 1 that is impaired. Analysis demonstrates the majority of incorrect-way crashes nationwide have been triggered by a driver with a BAC over the legal restrict, which is .08{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73}.

“In the past yr, I have worked with someone who dropped their beloved a person, a fiancé, to a mistaken-way driver,” mentioned Mary Kate DePampehillis, the system director of Mothers Versus Drunk Driving Massachusetts. “It’s unquestionably devastating to know that these men and women can just alter somebody’s existence in an instantaneous, however. It’s frightening to know there are improper-way motorists on the street.”

In January, a erroneous-way crash on the Mass Pike in Blandford resulted in OUI charges from a girl from New York.

MassDOT has started installing erroneous-way auto detection units on a variety of freeway exits through the point out, such as on I-91 in Bernardston. If an individual goes up the ramp the erroneous way, a camera will detect it and trigger flashing warning lights. It will be put in at 16 ramps that MassDOT and Massachusetts Point out Law enforcement have established are a lot more very likely to see improper-way entries. The installations should really be entire by the stop of spring.

It’s comparable to the engineering that has been in use in Rhode Island for practically eight a long time now. In 2015, the Rhode Island Division of Transportation started setting up detection programs on freeway ramps. It will warn the driver and notify Rhode Island State Police that anyone is driving the mistaken way on the highway. The cameras get a image of the car and send a concept out to the overhead indicators to warn other motorists.

RIDOT Traffic Safety Engineer Steven Pristawa claimed the systems detect completely wrong-way drivers about six occasions a month on the state’s 29 ramps that have a detection procedure.

“From a security standpoint, we have been satisfied with it,” said Pristawa.

Out of the hundreds of wrong-way motorists that have induced the detection procedure, a single resulted in a crash. It was not lethal.

“We never want to see any individual die on our streets, so everything we can do to stop them, we’re normally delighted with the consequence that can show that kind of reduction in fatalities,” described Pristawa.