The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) recently demonstrated the effectiveness of wrong way LED-flashing technology to stop a wrong way driver.
For the demonstration, CTDOT closed the off-ramp on Queen Street in Southington.
“This year has been by far the deadliest year in recent memory, with 22 wrong way fatalities occurring on the highways,” CTDOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti said. “In fact, 2022 exceeds the number of wrong way fatalities from the previous three years combined. With more than 85 percent of wrong way drivers found to be impaired, we need people to think twice before getting behind the wheel because one wrong move can be deadly. Thank you to Gov. (Ned) Lamont, Sen. (John) Fonfara (D-Hartford), and the General Assembly for providing the DOT with additional funds which allows us to install additional mitigation measures to reduce wrong way crashes.”
The demonstration is part of ongoing efforts to mitigate wrong-way driving crashes in the state. State and local officials, local law enforcement, and the Connecticut State Police attended the event.
The State Bond Commission approved $20 million in July for wrong way mitigation measures.
CTDOT accelerated the installation of wrong-way flashing signage at high-risk ramps statewide and explored additional mitigation measures to help reduce wrong-way driving.