Conn. (WTNH) — The Connecticut House of Representatives passed a bill in hopes of preventing wrong-way driving in the state.
On Wednesday, the bill passed unanimously.
The bill — An Act Concerning Wrong-Way Driving Direction and Prevention — requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to expand its efforts to implement wrong-way driver countermeasures in Connecticut.
This includes wrong-way driving detection and notification systems on at least 120 highway exit ramps that are determined high-risk for wrong-way drivers, as well as rumble strips on exit ramps. The strips will cause audible rumbling when the driver goes the wrong-way.
Additionally, the DOT is required to implement a public awareness campaign to educate the public on ways to reduce wrong-way driving incidents and actions drivers should take when they encounter someone driving the wrong-way.
The Department of Motor Vehicles must also include these instructions on driving school instruction standards.
Through its wrong-way flasher pilot program, the DOT analyzed 700 highway ramps, wrong-way event history, and alcohol-serving businesses within one-half mile of the ramps, lack of sufficient highway lighting, and the presence of raised median or guardrails separating the on and off-ramps.
Through the analysis, 236 locations were dubbed high-risk for wrong-way driving events.