Characteristics of Law Enforcement Response to Wrong-Way Driving Events in Florida

Abstract

Wrong-way driving (WWD) can result in severe crashes. By responding quickly to WWD dispatch calls, law enforcement officers (LEOs) could stop the wrong-way vehicle before a crash occurs. This paper analyzed law enforcement (LE) response times to WWD dispatch calls in Florida between January 2003 and April 2018 to determine significant effects. The average LE response time was much lower for 2013 onward than before 2013. Average response time was lower during nighttime and in urban areas and was higher for county roads and toll roads. Two ordinal logit models were also developed. These models found that dispatch calls closer to regional traffic management centers or rest areas, in urban areas, or on state roads or local roads typically had lower response times than calls not in these locations. In addition, WWD dispatch calls on toll roads had lower response times than calls on non-toll limited access facilities. Intelligent transportation system (ITS) WWD countermeasures with flashing signs, detection devices, cameras, and direct communication with traffic management centers also help LEOs respond quickly to detected WWD events and more accurately identify the vehicle’s location. As of June 2018, these technologies located at 70 toll road exit ramps in Florida have prompted 307 wrong-way drivers to turn around, possibly preventing nine crashes and saving LEOs over 116 h. The results of this research can help identify locations where increasing LEO presence or installing ITS WWD countermeasure technologies could help reduce WWD response time and WWD crashes, potentially saving lives.

Predictors of police response time: a scoping review

“…If no mean was presented, we converted the unstandardized B coefficients into standardized Beta coefficients by extracting the standard deviation of both the outcome and the predictor variables. For the one study that presented results of an ordinal logit regression (Kayes et al, 2019), we converted the unstandardized B coefficients into odds ratios.…”

Estimating Fatality and Injury Savings Because of Deployment of Advanced Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures on a Toll Road Network

“…Studies of Florida LED WWD countermeasures found that they have much lower turnaround percentages than RFBs, but can reduce WWD 911 calls and citations by up to 48% (5,6). Combined, Florida RFB and LED WWD countermeasures were estimated to have saved law enforcement officers over 116 h by confirming when detected wrong-way vehicles turn around (19). In Texas, analysis of LED WWD countermeasures installed on US 281 found a 30% reduction in WWD, resulting in an estimated B/C ratio of 13:1 for a 20-year life cycle (20).…”

Statewide Application of Wrong-Way Driving Crash Risk Modeling and Countermeasures Optimization Algorithm to Identify Optimal Locations for Countermeasure Deployment on Florida Limited Access Facilities

“…Researchers in Texas studied how intoxication affects a driver’s ability to identify signs and WWD countermeasures; they found that LEDs made it easier for intoxicated drivers to notice “Wrong Way” signs, but harder for them to read the signs ( 13 , 14 ). Studies of LED and RFB countermeasures in Florida by the authors showed that both devices reduce WWD, but RFBs are more effective and provide substantial life-cycle benefits ( 3 , 4 , 15 , 16 ). RFBs were also preferred over LEDs by surveyed drivers and law enforcement officers ( 17 ).…”