LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A wrong-way driving accident prevention project in Kentucky has been in the works for several years and is close to saving lives.
The Wrong-Way Driving Prevention and Integrated Safety Technology system deters and detects wrong-way drivers on interstate highways.
According to the Kentucky Department of Transportation, there have been 216 wrong-way driving accidents in the state since 2015, resulting in 69 deaths and 80 serious injuries.
According to KYTC, there have been 13 wrong-way driving crashes across the state so far this year, resulting in six deaths and three serious injuries.
Local drivers like Shay Poissonnier, who works at Harley Davidson just off the Arthur Street exit, know the dangers.
“Just behind here we have a lot of accidents where people think they can get off the interstate here, but they can't and end up trying to go the other way,” Poissonnier said.
One such accident occurred in 2021, when a 17-year-old male charged with DUI was driving the wrong way on the interstate at Arthur Street and collided head-on with a vehicle, killing one woman and injuring two other vehicle occupants.
To prevent wrong-way driving accidents like these, the Department of Transportation is installing new technology at three locations in Jefferson County.
I-264 from I-64 to I-65. I-64 from the Ohio River to Pee Wee Reese Road. I-65 from the Ohio River to Kentucky Route 1065 (outer loop).
The detection system will identify safety concerns in real time, such as wrong-way drivers, people walking on the highway, or broken-down vehicles. The system will then issue a warning to the driver to stop going the wrong way. The warning system will then alert other drivers and emergency responders that someone isn't going the right way. KYTC says they're still figuring out how this part will work.
“We're going to be going through this process for the next month or so to determine what works best,” said Natasha Lacey, spokesperson for KYTC District 7. “Part of the detection is LiDAR and part is computer technology.”
The main goal is to save lives.
“We are always focused on accident elimination and safety and this will be another tool we can use to assist motorists,” Mr Lacey said.
It's a safety feature that Poissonnier welcomes.
“If I had something that could warn me and let me know that I'm driving incorrectly, I think I would be a safer driver and a lot of us could benefit from that and be safer.”
The pilot program will last three months, after which KYTC will decide how to move forward. Three locations in Fayette County are scheduled to begin rolling out the technology on Sunday. It's unclear when Jefferson County will get the technology.
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