Comparing countermeasures for mitigating wrong-way entries onto limited access facilities.

PDFTech ReportBDV25-977-29Wrong way drivingExpresswaysOn rampsRamps (Interchanges)Head on collisionsCollisionsHighway safetyRoad markingsTraffic control devicesCountermeasuresOff rampsFloridaUnited StatesUniversity of South Florida. Center for Urban Transportation ResearchLin, Pei-SungOzkul, SeckinBoot, Walter R.Alluri, PriyankaHagen, Larry T.Guo, RuiUniversity of South Florida. Center for Urban Transportation ResearchFlorida. Dept. of TransportationUS Transportation CollectionWrong-way crashes are a major cause for safety concerns along freeways and limited-access facilities. Although wrong-way crashes account for a relatively small portion of total crashes, the impact between two cars crashing into each other at high speeds in opposite directions often results in severe injuries or fatalities compared to any other type of crash. Despite providing the necessary \ue2\u20ac\u153DO NOT ENTER\ue2\u20ac? and \ue2\u20ac\u153WRONG WAY\ue2\u20ac? signs and pavement markings (wrong-way arrows, etc.), as per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), wrong-way entry onto limited-access facilities is still occurring. To seek solutions for mitigating wrong-way driving (WWD), tests involving a number of countermeasures using Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies have been conducted through FDOT pilot projects. This project looked to evaluate these WWD countermeasures developed through these pilot projects and come up with recommendations of the most effective and informing WWD countermeasures through analysis of existing data and studies, field testing using focus groups, a public opinion survey, and a human factors approach using driving simulation. The results proved that red Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) is the top countermeasure for mitigating WWD at freeway off-ramps, with wigwag flashing beacons as the second best, and detection-triggered blank-out signs and detection-triggered LED lights around \ue2\u20ac\u153WRONG WAY\ue2\u20ac? signs (tie) as third best WWD countermeasures. Red flush-mount Internally Illuminated Raised Pavement Markers (IIRPMs) could be considered as a supplemental countermeasure for mitigating WWD at freeway off-ramps. The countermeasure of delineators along off-ramps is the least effective and is not recommended to be used for deterring WWD at freeway off-ramps. This study further confirms that the newly-developed signing and pavement marking standards b