Hubert Delany

Sadly, wrong-way crashes and deaths have been on the rise in Connecticut. Studies have shown that wrong-way driving crashes are 100 times more likely to be fatal than other types of crashes. 

The House of Representatives took action on Wednesday with the passage of HB 6746, which seeks to reduce incidents and minimize fatalities from wrong-way drivers.

HB 6746 requires the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to expand its efforts to implement wrong-way driver countermeasures, including:

• Wrong-way driving detection and notification systems on at least 120 high-risk highway exit ramps
• Rumble strips on exit ramps that cause tactile vibration and audible rumbling when a driver goes the wrong way on these ramps
• A public awareness campaign to educate the public on ways to reduce wrong-way driving incidents and the actions drivers should take when they encounter a wrong-way driver

The bill also requires that driver education programs give instruction on ways to reduce wrong-way driving incidents and the actions drivers should take when they encounter a wrong-way driver.

The number of people killed or injured on state roads is startling, especially because many of them were the result of preventable crashes. I am glad we passed this important legislation to help make our roads safer.