Wrong Way Driver

PHOENIX – It happens in an instant. An overhead message board flashes, “ALERT, WRONG-WAY DRIVER AHEAD.” Or headlights suddenly appear on your side of a divided roadway.

What you do before and during these and other situations involving wrong-way drivers, most of whom are impaired, can increase the chances of avoiding a potentially fatal collision.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has added large “Wrong Way” signs on Interstate 17 bridges and other structures between the Interstate 10 “Stack” interchange and Loop 101, facing in the direction of potential wrong-way drivers.

That’s the same 15-mile stretch where ADOT is installing a first-in-the-nation wrong-way detection and warning prototype that uses thermal cameras.

Placing these “Wrong Way” signs, each measuring 8 feet by 5 feet, is another way ADOT is testing countermeasures to get the attention of wrong-way drivers on I-17.

PHOENIX – Thermal cameras now being tested for detecting wrong-way vehicles on freeway off-ramps in the Phoenix area successfully alerted authorities to two recent overnight incidents along Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) in the northwest Valley.

PHOENIX – The first traffic restrictions required for the installation of a first-in-the-nation pilot wrong-way vehicle detection and warning system are scheduled this weekend at the Interstate 17 interchange at Indian School Road in Phoenix.

Preliminary work started in the past week on the Arizona Department of Transportation’s $3.7 million thermal-camera based project designed to immediately alert ADOT and the Department of Public Safety if a wrong-way vehicle is detected along a 15-mile stretch of I-17.

ADOT Director John Halikowski discusses a planned system to help detect wrong-way drivers.

PHOENIX – A $3.7 million project to construct a first-in-the-nation thermal detection system, which will detect wrong-way vehicles and alert the other drivers and law enforcement of them on Interstate 17, was approved Friday afternoon by the State Transportation Board.

Last week, Governor Doug Ducey instructed the Arizona Department of Transportation to accelerate the construction of this system in light of recent wrong-way crashes, which resulted in Friday’s vote.

Spike strips are one of the most common methods suggested for combating wrong-way drivers. Find out why they're not a potential response.

Wrong-way driving. No issue has prompted more people to contact ADOT over the past year.

PHOENIX – After completing a comprehensive study of wrong-way driving crashes on state highways and how technology may help reduce the threat, the Arizona Department of Transportation is planning a prototype project to use existing highway sensors to detect wrong-way vehicles and to alert authorities and other motorists.

PHOENIX —The Arizona Department of Transportation is testing wrong-way vehicle detection devices next to three more off-ramps along Phoenix-area freeways as part of an ongoing research effort to reduce the risk of wrong-way crashes.

The detectors, manufactured by TAPCO, Inc., were installed last week along the northbound Interstate 17 exit to State Route 74 (Carefree Highway), the eastbound Interstate 10 exit at Ray Road and the northbound Loop 101 (Agua Fria Freeway) off-ramp at Thunderbird Road.

New steps are being taken in the Phoenix area in efforts to get the attention of wrong-way drivers before they enter a freeway in the wrong direction.

PHOENIX – New steps are being taken in the Phoenix area this week in efforts to get the attention of wrong-way drivers before they enter a freeway in the wrong direction.

Although “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs already are in place along freeway off-ramps, new and larger versions of such signs will be installed and studied along the exit ramps at six freeway interchanges, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. In addition, signs will be placed lower on their posts to test if that could help in alerting confused or impaired wrong-way drivers.

PHOENIX – The directors of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, convened an emergency meeting Sunday afternoon to talk about the recent fatal wrong-way driver crashes on Arizona highways.