SOUTHINGTON, CT (WFSB) – The Connecticut Department of Transportation is looking to tackle an issue that it said has taken a deadly toll on drivers.
Tuesday night, it planned to demonstrate some new tactics designed to stop wrong way crashes.
Along a ramp to Interstate 84 west in Southington, there’s already a ton of signs that tell drivers where not to enter.
However, it is still considered a wrong way hotspot. That’s why the DOT said it is upping the ante with plans to install flashing lights and other high-visibility markers that would be hard to ignore.
“What we’re seeing on our roads right now is really staggering and it’s alarming,” said Josh Morgan, CT DOT.
The Channel 3 I-Team first brought the issue of wrong way crashes to viewers’ attention in September.
It found that 41 people died in that type of crash in Connecticut since 2019 and 100 people were hurt.
The crashes often happen at night and involve drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs, according to law enforcement.
The DOT said it identified wrong way hotspots along I-84 westbound, Route 15 heading north, Interstate 95 northbound and on both sides of Route 8.
“Those are locations that due to the infrastructure, the on ramp and off ramp are right next to each other,” Morgan said.
In addition to the signage that will be part of Tuesday’s DOT demonstration in Southington, the agency also planned to install bright flashing lights and signage in at least 16 other hotspots starting in January.
While data could help the DOT determine where the crashes were most likely to happen, those who have lost loved ones said no one can predict the pain of the human cost.
The event Tuesday was slated to start at 7 p.m. in Southington, which will be after dark but 4 hours before the window when most wrong way crashes occur. The window, according to the DOT, is between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Copyright 2022 WFSB. All rights reserved.
Read More: DOT to demonstrate wrong-way driving deterrents in Southington tonight
