Maine Begins Using Camera System to Stop Wrong-Way Drivers

In recent years, it seems like the number of people either accidentally or intentionally driving the wrong way on Maine highways as skyrocketed.

Obviously this is incredibly dangerous, not just for the wrong way driver, but for all of the other drivers on the road that are actually travelling in the correct direction as someone comes barreling in from the opposite direction.

In an effort to prevent deadly wrong-way crashes, Maine is launching a pilot program on I-95 that uses new detection technology that has already begun working in Rhode Island. WGME says the initiative is part of a larger safety plan that is aimed at stopping drivers before serious crashes have the chance to occur.

For Maine's Amy Turner, the issue of wrong way drivers is very personal. Back in 2014, she was hit head-on by a wrong-way driver on I-295 while driving home from work. The crash left her hospitalized for days and required weeks of rehabilitation.

According to WGME 13, Turner still walks with a bit of a limp and has lasting physical damage which includes a leg that's now shorter than the other. Her story reminds us all how urgent the need for solutions to stop these kinds of accidents before they happen.

To help reduce wrong-way crashes, the Maine DOT is now taking a page out of Rhode Island, which has seen good results using radar and camera-based systems on highway ramps. Rhode Island began using this technology about a decade ago, the news station reports.

When a vehicle enters an off-ramp going the wrong way, the system then activates a flashing “WRONG WAY” sign to alert the driver. If that driver then continues the wrong way, alerts are immediately sent to police and the traffic management center.