LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — A project to prevent wrong-way driving accidents in Kentucky has been in the works for more than two years.
The Wrong-Way Driving Prevention and Integrated Safety Technology System will deter and detect wrong-way drivers on interstates, and the test program begins Sunday.
Wrong-way drivers are a big problem in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Department of Transportation, there have been 216 accidents involving wrong-way drivers statewide since 2015. Those accidents have resulted in 69 deaths and 80 serious injuries. So far this year, there have been 13 accidents involving wrong-way drivers statewide, according to the Kentucky Department of Transportation. Those accidents have resulted in six deaths and three serious injuries.
“Wrong-way driving is certainly a concern and we are doing everything we can to improve and enhance safety,” said Natasha Lacey, PIO for the Kentucky Department of Transportation's Highway Division 7.
Kentucky was one of 10 states to receive grant funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Advanced Traffic and Congestion Management Technology Implementation Program in 2021. The 10 states were awarded a total of $45.2 million in grant funding for projects using advanced intelligent transportation systems technologies that improve mobility and safety.
Kentucky has received $5.14 million in federal funding to improve safety on its interstates through innovative solutions to prevent wrong-way driving accidents. Gov. Andy Beshear announced Kentucky's Wrong-Way Driving Prevention and Integrated Safety Technology System in February. The Kentucky Department of Transportation awarded the project contract, which is estimated to cost up to $9.5 million when completed. The federal grant funded part of the project.
Fayette and Jefferson counties have been selected to participate in the project's three-month pilot program.
“Because those are the areas where wrong-way driving occurs the most,” Lacey said.
The first five locations will test multiple wrong-way prevention and mainline monitoring vendors to ensure their products are accurate, reliable and interoperable with existing systems.
Once the technology has been tested, the selected vendor will deploy it across multiple locations.
Fayette County: New Circle Road/Kentucky Route 4 from Newtown Pike to Richmond Road Fayette County: I-75/I-64 from Newtown Pike to Southern Split Fayette County: I-75 from Southern Split to Clays Ferry Bridge Jefferson County: I-264 from I-64 to I-65 Jefferson County: I-64 from the Ohio River to Pee Wee Reese Road Jefferson County: I-65 from the Ohio River to Kentucky Route 1065 (Outer Loop)
According to KYTC, the program is unique to Kentucky and the system is made up of four distinct components.
The detection system will identify wrong-way driving incidents and other safety concerns in real time. KYTC said the system will leverage different vendors, each with their own unique capabilities. Some vendors will use cameras integrated with video analytics software that can detect when a car is driving the wrong way. Others may use motion detection technologies like radar or LiDAR.
The deterrent system will sound a warning to discourage wrong-way drivers from driving. The warning system will then alert other drivers to the wrong-way driver's presence and provide emergency responders with the wrong-way driver's location. KYTC said it is still evaluating how to warn other drivers, and no final decisions have been made.
“The sooner we receive notification that there is a wrong-way vehicle, the sooner we can get to the scene, dramatically improving public safety,” said Lt. Chris Van Brackel with the Lexington Police Department.
KYTC says it hasn't road-tested all of its devices, but most it saw in previews immediately alerted other drivers to the wrong-way driver. As for alerting emergency responders, KYTC explains that there is a slight delay in the alert reaching its traffic control center, but that the time to alert emergency responders has been measured within seconds, not minutes.
“The reality is, right now it's measured in seconds, and that's something we'll continue to look at to improve as we move forward with this project,” Lacey said.
Mainline monitoring systems also identify other safety concerns, such as pedestrians, debris, and disabled vehicles. As with wrong-way driver detection, the systems vary in methodology; some use video with computer analytics, while others use LiDAR. According to KYTC, these systems use AI to sense when conditions change from “normal.”
Existing digital signs and pavement markings will be integrated into a comprehensive system that includes additional signs, cameras, sensors and other equipment purchased with the grant. Final locations will be identified based on the accident history and ramp design of interstate ramps in Fayette and Jefferson counties, as most wrong-way driving accidents occur in these areas, and may be expanded to other counties in the state.
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