PHOENIX, Feb. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) wrong-way driver detection pilot program potentially saved lives recently when it detected a truck travelling in the wrong direction on I-17 near Camelback Road at 3 a.m.
This first-in-the-nation pilot system was designed by a team of traffic engineers now employed by Stanley Consultants, an international engineering firm. The team of Don Tappendorf, technical lead; Natalie Carrick, project manager and BriAnne Turpin, traffic control and staging, developed the pilot system for ADOT to be tested on 15 miles of I-17.
The system worked as designed, detecting the wrong-way vehicle and alerting ADOT's traffic operations center staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety dispatch center. Using a computerized decision support system, operators activated wrong-way warnings on freeway digital message boards to alert other drivers and urge them to exit the freeway out of harm's way. Ramp meter signals turned on with a red-only light to deter drivers from entering the endangered lanes.
Traffic operators and the DPS tracked the vehicle, and state troopers took the driver into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence. ADOT is crediting the detection with preventing a crash. The incident was widely reported in the local media.
"Wrong-way driving accidents comprise a relatively small percentage of traffic accidents, but the outcomes are often tragic," said Tappendorf, manager of Stanley Consultants Intelligent Transportation Systems Department. "While this system can't prevent wrong-way driving, it is designed to detect it more quickly and reduce the risk of serious crashes by allowing a faster response by law enforcement officers."
The $4 million system, which includes 90 thermal cameras between the I-10 Stack and the Loop 101 interchange in north Phoenix, has been operational for one year while engineers evaluate the performance of its components. Those include a computerized decision support system and specialized background-illuminated wrong-way signs.
It has recorded detections of more than 45 wrong-way vehicles. Nearly all of the drivers in those incidents either self-corrected and turned around or drove on the frontage road without entering the mainline lanes of I-17. Learn more about the ADOT wrong-way driving pilot project in an article authored by Tappendorf in Roads & Bridges magazine.
Nationally, attention has been raised on wrong-way driving and related fatalities, as each year 300- to 400 people are killed on the nation's highways. Most wrong-way movements involve a vehicle entering an exit ramp and most wrong-way collisions occur at night.
About Stanley Consultants
Stanley Consultants provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide. Recognized for its commitment to client service and a passion to make a difference, Stanley Consultants brings global knowledge, experience and capabilities to serve federal, municipal and industrial clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 25,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 110 countries. For more information on Stanley Consultants, please visit http://www.stanleyconsultants.com.
SOURCE Stanley Consultants
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