GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) – Officials are taking new steps to protect Michiganders from wrong-way drivers.
MDOT announced Monday it is partnering with the Michigan State Police and city of Grand Rapids to add detection systems at interchange off-ramps to warn drivers they’re going the wrong way.
Over a roughly six-mile stretch along US-131 between Ann Street and M-11 (28th Street), a series of lights will flash on the wrong way signs on the off-ramps when a driver is going the wrong way. Additionally, cameras will begin rolling and authorities will be alerted.
Similar systems are already in place on two off-ramps along US-131, highlighted in a new video on MDOT’s YouTube page.
"Whether caused by alcohol, drugs, or confusion, wrong-way driving is a serious problem," said First Lt. Matt Williams, commander of the MSP Grand Rapids Post. "Technology can be used to prevent tragedy."
There were 2,008 deaths from wrong-way driving crashes on divided highways between 2015 and 2018, an average of approximately 500 deaths a year, according to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Those numbers were up 34% when compared to the previous four years.
Alcohol/drug-impairment, older age, and driving without a passenger have been cited as factors that can increase the risk of wrong-way crashes, according to MDOT.
This is the latest effort MDOT has made to crack down on wrong way driving, having already added reflective strips to “do not enter” and “wrong way” signs, among other measures in recent years.
This past spring in Metro Detroit saw a number of people killed by wrong-way drivers, prompting a discussion of why it's happening and how to prevent it. On Labor Day weekend a woman went the wrong way on I-375 before hitting multiple cars on I-75.
For more information on wrong-way driving, visit the Federal Highway Administration website.