Addressing wrong-way driving as a matter of policy: The Florida Experience

Wrong-way driving (WWD) incidents garner considerable interest from the media, elected representatives, and policy makers. Almost a half-century after Hulbert and Beers (1966), the National Transportation Safety Board and others continue to research WWD countermeasures. The recent increase in WWD re-kindled a national discussion in the United States of America, and is bringing about a significant change in the approach to addressing this crash type. The main purpose of this work is to present a policy-oriented framework toward addressing WWDs in a systematic manner and to suggest a systemic discipline for transforming policy objectives to actionable outcomes. To accomplish this goal, the leadership of the Florida Department of Transportation played a pivotal role in converting strategy to reality by promoting organizational linkages and active collaboration. The method included: (a) implementing pilot projects; (b) conducting a statewide study with crash evaluation and field reviews, identifying interchange types, and developing countermeasures; (c) evaluating and deploying experimental devices specifically approved by the Federal Highway Administration; (d) conceptualizing a human factors study; (e) transforming recommendations to design guidance; (f) discussing with planners on interchange types susceptible to WWDs; (g) retrofitting exit ramps with the recommended countermeasures; and (h) leveraging the media to promote awareness and to educate the public about the dangers of driving under the influence. The result of this policy push is that, from an engineering view point, design changes were made; from an education perspective, WWD awareness was prioritized; and from an enforcement angle, the Florida Highway Patrol proactively detects and addresses WWD crashes.