Wrong-way crashes are considered among the most lethal types of traffic incidents because of their head on characteristics and because they usually involve high rates of speed. To reduce the frequency of high-speed incidents, it is necessary to stop a wrong-way driver as soon as possible. The sooner a wrong-way driver is stopped, the less likely they are to cause a high-speed event. TAPCO believes a system of passive warning enhancements and physical barriers toward the end of the exit ramp will reduce the likelihood of producing a high-speed incident. The physical barrier system captures a wrong-way vehicle and brings it to a stop without causing severe or catastrophic damage to occupant. The TAPCO proposed system deploys the barrier in the low speed zone to stop the wrong-way driver before it accelerates to mainline speeds. By engaging the wrong-way driver in this location where speeds are low, this approach could significantly reduce injury and reduce the technical challenges of stopping a high-speed vehicle.
