SALT LAKE CITY—In 2022, there were 10 fatalities that were the result of eight wrong-way crashes in Utah. There have been 18 wrong-way driving crashes in 2023, with six fatalities and the latest a crash in Parleys Canyon that killed the wrong-way driver. As the numbers seem to be escalating, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has been installing a new detection and alert system aimed at stopping the trend.

“We’re seeing an uptick but we don’t know why exactly,” said Mitch Shaw, Senior Communications Manager, Utah Department of Transportation. “Wrong-way driving mostly occurs on the interstate with people going the wrong direction at the on or off ramps.”

That can be catastrophic, he said. “People aren’t expecting that and you’ve got two conflicting vehicles hitting each other at freeway speeds.”

Shaw said people ask why they don’t use tire shredders. “It is not practical and not effective. Those are designed for vehicles traveling about five miles an hour. There’s also the weather here. We have to clear the roads and treat them with chemicals. It would be a nightmare to maintain.”

They can also get stuck in the up position, he said. “The natural instinct when you see those is to brake and that can cause a rear end. That can be dangerous too.”

Currently, there are signs that people should be able to see but these go above and beyond the typical signage, said Shaw. “These have radar and cameras that work at night too. It can detect cars traveling the wrong direction. They are big red, bold signs that flash and say you’re traveling the wrong way.”

A lot of crashes involve drugs or alcohol, he said. “We hope the big, bright flashing lights might get their attention in a beefed up way by making the signs more visible and interactive.”

Mostly it alerts the driver that they’re going the wrong way, said Shaw. “It also sends an alert to the UDOT Traffic Center (TOC) and UHP (Utah Highway Patrol) so they can track the driver to see where they are and get to them as quickly as possible.”

UDOT has installed 15 detection systems since February, he said. “There are several more to be installed.”

There are three working systems in Davis County and one under construction:

• US-89 (State St SB off ramp at SR-225 (Park Lane), Farmington
• SR-67 (Legacy Parkway NB off ramp) at SR-225, Farmington
• I-15 SB & 2600 South, Woods Cross
• I-15 NB & 200 West, Farmington, under construction, waiting on power connection

According to UDOT, an initial test of the system last fall on the northbound off-ramp from Legacy Parkway at the I-15/Park/Lane/US-89 interchange in Farmington, the system detected 23 wrong-way drivers who all turned around. 

The Utah Transportation Commission approved a funding request in February for $2.5 million to install this detection system at 22 additional locations throughout the state. 

“It’s hard to pinpoint patterns because they happen sporadically,” said Shaw. “We try to choose routes where you see a high number of vehicle travel and a lot of traffic. We select areas (to install) that will benefit the most.”

With the traditional static wrong-way signs unless someone is inebriated, it’s just a case where someone made a mistake, he said. “We hope the interactive bold letter signs will get their attention. Logic would tell you it’s working.”

Part of the increase in wrong-way incidents is because there is more traffic, Shaw said. “It’s an especially scary situation. Vehicles are driving at a high rate of speed. UDOT is trying to reverse the trend and get back on track.”