COLUMBUS, Ohio — Crashes caused by wrong-way drivers are on the rise in Ohio, and there’s only one interstate ramp in Columbus that’s outfitted with technology that can detect them before they get on the interstate.plans to invest $2.7 million into new wrong-way driver detection systems on 31 interstate ramps across the Columbus metro area. ODOT is working to finalize where the systems will go and plans to award a project contract next year.
“These make up 0.01% of all crashes each year in the state of Ohio, so they’re extremely rare, but they’re 40 times more likely to be deadly when they do occur,” Bruning said. The quick exchange of information from camera to operator to law enforcement is especially important because wrong-way drivers don’t typically make it far. Data shows that, on average, wrong-way drivers only travel about three quarters of a mile before crashing, Bruning said.