GIS mapping and spatial analysis identified high-risk ramps, followed by deployment of radar detectors and LED-illuminated 'wrong way' warning signs.
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Cutting the cost of wrong way driving
Summary Information
Methodology
The San Antonio Police Department (SA Police) began recording all WW driver reports in 2011. The SA Police, along with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), created the WW Driver Task Force in 2012 in response to the findings of the recording effort. TTI developed a GIS mapping
system to identify where WW incidents were occurring. TTI utilized spatial analysis technology to develop a density map of incident locations. This mapping identified a 24km segment of US-281 as having the largest concentration of WW incidents. The Task Force then initiated a pilot project deployed along this stretch of US-281. The pilot utilized radar detection to identify WW drivers and
illuminated red LED "Wrong Way" signs to warn drivers. Additionally, LED "blank out" signs, which are typically blank during normal conditions but display a "Wrong Way" message when triggered by a WW driver, were installed on the highway shoulders.
Results
The pilot project, which operated during a 14-month period from July 2012 to August 2013, produced the following observed benefits:
- A 29 and 30 percent reduction in WW driving incidents (results from 2 separate incident logs)
