Aurora

Wrong-way driving (WWD) incidents are well-known to be unpredictable and occur throughout the roadway network, making widespread detection efforts expensive and impractical.

However, thanks to emerging connected-vehicle (CV) trajectory data, researchers at the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) have recently developed a data-driven methodology to better detect these incidents and drivers’ correcting behavior, which will ultimately help departments of transportations (DOTs), in Iowa and beyond, enact better countermeasures.

“By translating high-resolution CV data into intuitive, statewide visualizations, InTrans is providing the Iowa DOT with a practical, scalable tool that goes far beyond traditional crash records, which rarely capture the full scope of wrong-way behavior,” said InTrans Associate Director Neal Hawkins, who is leading the WWD effort with colleagues in the Real-Time Analytics of Transportation Data Laboratory (REACTOR Lab).

The approach, which is still being refined in conjunction with Iowa DOT partners, combines the state’s roadway network data with CV trajectory data at three-second intervals to compare drivers’ travel and the roadway direction for each segment, giving insights into wrong-way movements that have not previously been available through crash reports or field observations.

In addition to providing data about the WWD incidents, the CV data also provides an opportunity to understand when drivers realize their mistakes and start to correct, which can provide transportation agencies with opportunities to develop more effective countermeasures.

“This work strengthens safety by identifying true risk locations before severe crashes occur and supports business excellence by enabling Iowa DOT to make targeted, data-driven investments in proactive, low-cost countermeasures where they will have the greatest impact,” REACTOR Lab Codirector Skylar Knickerbocker said.

Hawkins and the REACTOR Lab team have been working with the Iowa DOT for a decade to better understand WWD incidents. While WWD crashes are relatively rare, they have a high risk of a fatal or severe outcome for both the wrong-way driver and those traveling correctly.

National data also suggest WWD fatalities are on the rise. A 2012 National Transportation Safety Board report found an average of 360 fatalities between 2004 and 2009, but a 2021 AAA Foundation for Traffic research brief found an average of 430 deaths per year from 2010 through 2018 from WWD crashes.

“This data-driven methodology offers new insights into wrong-way driver behavior and gives the Iowa DOT the ability to monitor their entire roadway network with far greater context and precision than was possible in the past,” said longtime Iowa DOT Traffic and Safety Engineer Willy Sorenson.

Sorenson’s longtime interest in correcting WWD behavior means the Iowa DOT has already enacted several countermeasures across the state, including additional signage and pavement markings, particularly at partial cloverleaf interchanges, which had been found to have high incident rates of WWD.

With the incorporation of the REACTOR Lab’s data and methodology, the hope is the Iowa DOT will be better able to identify and treat problematic areas. Additionally, the methodology can serve as a model for other agencies across the nation to better address WWD incidents.

For more information, read InTrans’ 2018 report on a previous investigation of WWD incidents in Iowa, co-authored by Hawkins, at the project page.