Crashes due to wrong-way driving can occur when a vehicle enters an exit ramp in the opposite direction from the legal traffic flow and continues onto the highway. Researchers in Tennessee evaluated three commercially available Wrong-Way Driving Prevention Systems (WWPS), after conducting a literature and crash data review, and surveying vendors in December 2019. Typically, countermeasures triggered by WWPS include a flashing wrong-way sign which alerts the driver entering the wrong direction of traffic, followed by an “alert to authority” which sends a text message or email via accompanying software to the Traffic Management Center. Testing was first performed using each of three WWPS products on a closed environment without external traffic. Then, during the first half of 2021, the WWPS were installed for one month of field testing, using a different Nashville off-ramp for each system.

Cost information for each evaluated technology was gathered based on price, manufacturer’s recommendations, and results from controlled tests. The cost analysis was performed based on the requirement that WWPS would have a two-zone setup and be provided as a complete package where all detection, warning, and alerting components were included. One product which only provided detection was assumed to be integrated with components from a third-party company. The life cycle cost analysis did not count any additional equipment, resources, or support from Tennessee DOT. The following tables show the deployment cost and annual maintenance and operation cost of the three tested WWPS.

Table 1: System 1 (Radar-based Detection System) Cost Breakdown (Expected Useful Life: 15 Years)

Table 2: System 2 (Lidar Detection technology) Cost Breakdown (Expected Useful Life: 7 Years)

Table 3: System 3 (Radar-based technology) Cost Breakdown (Expected Useful Life: 10 Years)