These ‘Wrong-Way Detectors’ Are Awesome! Let’s Get Them in New York

A new piece of technology has just been unveiled, and if it works the way they say it does, New York State should be its next destination.

While every state has their share of bad drivers, New York seems to have the additional disadvantage of some very confusing roads. These new "wrong way detectors" could be exactly what we need.

Confusing Roads in New York State

From traffic circles that seem to confuse even the most experienced commuter to this awful move seen nearly every day on Route 9, there is certainly no shortage of boneheaded maneuvers in New York. Luckily, there seems to be a solution.

New "Wrong-Way Detection" Technology Unveiled

Recently, the Ohio Department of Transportation released video of a new technology that they say is 90% effective in correcting one of the most dangerous driving mistakes: driving the wrong way on a highway.

READ MORE: New York State Thruway Closed After Fatal Wrong-Way Crash

"The Wrong Way Corridor has been working - here's the proof", read the caption of a collection of traffic surveillance videos posted by the ODOT. Check out the new system in action below.

How New Wrong-Way Detection System Works

The ODOT shared that they wanted to specifically target impaired of distracted drivers, and installed the new technology on this particular stretch of highway exit and entrance ramps due to its close proximity to a large number of bars and restaurants. Here's how it works:

When a detector senses a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction on an exit ramp, it immediately triggers a pair of “WRONG WAY” signs with lighted borders that flash rapidly to alert drivers of their mistake. A second detector looks further down the ramp to determine if the vehicle has continued down the ramp, which triggers a second set of “DO NOT ENTER” and “WRONG WAY” signs, also with lighted borders, to flash rapidly.

Law enforcement is also notified, and video clips of the offending vehicles are saved. The ODOT points out that while wrong-way crashed are rare, the chances of a resulting fatality is much higher than a standard crash. So when are they coming to New York?

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On roadways like the Taconic Parkway, even stone-cold sober drivers wouldn't be blamed for confusing an exit ramp for an entrance ramp, and there have been several  documented wrong-way crashes on Route 17 in the Hudson Valley. Sounds like a job for a wrong-way detection system.