Technology upgraded on highway signs in Connecticut to help prevent wrong-way crashes

CONNECTICUT (WABC) — This time of year can be dangerous on the roads.

Accidents can happen when people visit from out of town and don’t always know what the country looks like.

In Connecticut, there is a safety system in place to prevent drivers from making a fatal mistake.

The red ghost signs on highway entrances have been given a technological upgrade with flashing lights that warn drivers so they can turn around before going the wrong way.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation calls it a self-correction.

“The technology works, this technology saves lives and that’s why we’re committed to deploying this here in Connecticut on as many platforms as possible,” said Josh Morgan with the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The state has been on a mission to reduce the number of wrong-way collisions, which are usually head-on and often result in fatalities.

Drivers admit it’s a problem.

“We see all the signs of 95,299 crashes, some of which were horrific. How could you not?” Stamford resident Joyce Fubini said.

“Both people walking and oncoming are on the same ramp. There is one, it makes me nervous,” said resident Mary Thies.

This year, 13 people have been killed in wrong-way crashes, compared to 23 deaths in 2022.

Then the state Legislature appropriated $40 million to upgrade its warning system.

Sensors activate flashing lights that alert an operations center and mounted cameras record the activity.

Because almost every wrong-way crash involved a driver with a disability, specific locations were chosen as targets.

“We mapped it out. If the driveway is within a certain distance of a bar, restaurant, hotel or anywhere else that serves alcohol, that was a sign of a pretty high score,” Morgan said.

Connecticut officials are warning motorists as the Thanksgiving weekend is busy and deadly.

“These are probably the four most dangerous days of the year on our Connecticut highways, with typically 10 to 20 serious injuries, most of them alcohol-related,” said Governor Ned Lamont.

This year, 135 of these sensors have been installed across the state. Another 100 are planned for next year.

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