Countermeasures for Wrong-Way Movement on Freeways: Guidelines and Recommended Practices

Drivers who make wrong-way entries onto freeways pose a serious risk to the safety of other motorists and themselves. Wrong-way driving often leads to head-on collisions. Wrong-way crashes are relatively infrequent but are more likely to produce serious injuries and fatalities compared to other types of crashes. Driving the wrong way on freeways has been a nagging traffic safety problem since the interstate highway system was started in the 1950s. Despite over forty years of highway design, marking, and signing improvements at freeway interchanges, the problem still persists. Several crashes in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Fort Worth District have brought attention to the hazard of wrong-way drivers. A search of newspaper articles revealed that the problem of wrong-way driving is not unique to Fort Worth and occurs throughout Texas. Members of the Fort Worth Traffic Management Team (TMT ) identified locations with a history of wrong-way entries and assessed potential countermeasures. During this review process it was determined that research was needed to understand and develop effective countermeasures for wrongway movements onto freeways and other restricted roads. This research provides TxDOT staff with preventative measures for reducing the frequency and severity of wrong-way entries onto freeway facilities throughout Texas. This report documents the recommended guidelines and best practices developed during the project. The research team based the guidelines and best practices on the results of the literature review, surveys, analysis of freeway-related wrong-way crashes in Texas, and evaluation of available countermeasures . This report also provides a wrong-way entry checklist for engineers and field crews to use for reviewing wrong-way entry issues or suspected problem locations. This checklist was based on one currently used by the California Department of Transportation with some additions based on project findings.