The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has received $5.14 million in federal funds to improve highway safety on interstates through innovative solutions to prevent wrong-way crashes, with the initiative to begin in Louisville and Lexington and potentially expand.
A news release says Kentucky’s Wrong Way Driving and Integrated Safety Technology System will use cutting-edge computing and video processing to implement a pilot program aimed at detecting and deterring wrong-way incidents by alerting the wrong-way driver, other drivers and emergency responders. Additionally, the system will improve existing intelligent transportation systems to monitor and detect other safety concerns related to pedestrians, debris and halted vehicles on the roadway.
Plans for the Wrong Way Driving and Integrated Safety Technology system consist of a detection system that identifies wrong-way incidents and other safety concerns in real time and a deterrent system which activates warnings designed to discourage the wrong-way drivers.
It also includes an alert system that notifies correct direction travelers and emergency responders and a mainline monitoring system which identifies mainline safety concerns such as pedestrians, debris and disabled vehicles.
Existing digital and roadway signage will be integrated into a comprehensive system that will include additional signs, cameras, sensors, and other equipment purchased with the grant funds. Locations will be identified based on crash history and ramp design on Interstate ramps in Fayette and Jefferson counties as most wrong-way crashes occur in these areas, with the potential to expand to other counties throughout the state.
Between 2015 and 2020, there were 88 wrong-way driving crashes in Kentucky where a driver used an off-ramp in the wrong direction. These 88 crashes resulted in 16 fatalities and 27 serious injuries.