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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>SPR-5020: Identifying Locations with Abnormally High Wrong Way Driving or Interstate U-Turns</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2577103</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Wrong way driving on Interstate entrance ramps and illegal U-Turns are emerging as safety concerns. These types of crashes are relatively infrequent, highly dependent on crash report narrative, and difficult to track at scale for systematically identifying locations that are candidates for mitigation measures. Connected vehicle data provides an important data source that scales well for developing procedures to identify wrong way driving and illegal Interstate U-Turns.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:59:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2577103</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Installed Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures on Florida Freeways and Arterials</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2563982</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of wrong way driving countermeasures currently mandated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on freeways and arterials. The study will assess whether the mandated wrong-way driving (WWD) countermeasures have an impact on the number of WWD incidents and WWD crashes occurring on state highway system roadways. The effectiveness of the countermeasures will be measured by the number and extent of WWD incidents, and WWD crashes reduced due to their installation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:21:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2563982</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Design and Safety Considerations of Center Line Barriers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558364</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Opposite-direction crashes, which involve a vehicle crossing into opposing lanes and impacting other vehicle(s) head on or in a sideswipe collision, account for more than 5,000 fatalities in the United States each year. These collisions most often occur on two-way, two-lane, high-speed rural roads, where opposing traffic is separated only by a center line pavement marking, sometimes supplemented with rumble strips. This type of roadway comprises approximately 69 percent of the national road network, totaling approximately 1.97 million miles.

NCHRP Research Report 995: Guidelines for Treatments to Mitigate Opposite Direction Crashes outlines several strategies for reducing opposite-direction collisions. Among them are center line buffer areas, which provide additional space between opposing traffic on undivided roads, and cable median barriers installed within the median of divided highways. For highways that do not have a median, a combined approach of installing barrier within a center line buffer area (hereafter referred to as center line barriers) may be effective. Only a limited number of existing sites in the United States have used this approach, and although these installations may not provide the full barrier deflection distance, a 2016 report titled Performance Evaluation of a Cable Median Barrier System on an Oregon Highway with a Narrow Median by Burns and Bell found this treatment effective in reducing opposite-direction crashes. 

Research is needed to evaluate the effects of center line barriers on roadway safety, operations, and maintenance. Additional study is also needed to investigate noteworthy practices and design considerations for implementing this treatment effectively.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to identify risk factors for opposite-direction crashes and investigate the safety, operational, and maintenance effects of center line barriers on previously undivided roadways. The research results will be used to prepare a guide with noteworthy practices, including safety performance and design considerations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 13:19:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558364</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>	Identifying Locations with High Wrong-Way Driving Risk and Effective Methods to Reduce Wrong-Way Driving at Non-Conventional Access Points and Construction Zones on Limited Access Roadways</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526499</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The main goal of this research is to utilize a proven wrong-way driving (WWD) hotspot methodology invented by Professor Al-Deek and his University of Central Florida (UCF) research team to help Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) identify WWD hotspot roadway segments and individual exits with high WWCR on limited access facilities in District 5, with additional focus on WWD at the various types of NCAPs previously mentioned and in construction zones. Exit ramps, different types of NCAPs, and construction zones have different characteristics, so potential WWD countermeasures specific to each of these locations will be identified, along with the potential for improved data practices to better detect and monitor WWD. This research will allow FDOT to prioritize locations in D5 for future WWD countermeasure deployments or enhancements to existing WWD countermeasures, better understand the characteristics of WWD behavior at NCAPs and construction zones, identify arterial interchanges for investigation, and develop appropriate deployment plans and treatment strategies for any future WWD countermeasure deployments and construction zone operations to proactively reduce WWD on the district’s transportation network in the most effective manner, saving lives and helping achieve FDOT’s goal of Target Zero. The methodology and results from this project could also be applied to other FDOT districts to help them combat the WWD problem.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:25:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526499</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improve Safety of Vehicles and Vulnerable Road Users at Intersections Integrating C-V2X and LiDAR Sensing Technologies</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2447164</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Crash risks associated with permissive left turns (PLTs), vulnerable road users (VRUs), and wrong way driving (WWD) appear to be among the top attributing factors for fatal and incapacitating crashes at signalized intersections, raising alarming safety concerns. The cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communication and innovative traffic detection technologies such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensing have the potential to reduce crashes related to these factors and enhance intersection safety. The research team will develop, test, and demonstrate a prototype system integrating C-V2X communication and innovative traffic detection technologies to improve safety of all road users at signalized intersections. Another objective is to provide the Texas Department of Transportation with guidelines for statewide implementation of the integrated system for intersection safety improvement. The research team will: (1) Review the literature on safety improvement systems utilizing C-V2X and innovative traffic detection systems; (2) Assess user needs and design a system architecture that satisfies user requirements; (3) Develop, test, demonstrate, and evaluate a prototype system that integrates C-V2X communication, LiDAR and other advanced traffic detection technologies to detect and mitigate crash risks involving PLTs, VRUs, and WWD at signalized intersections; and (4) Develop guideline documents containing implementation procedures and use case scenarios.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:29:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2447164</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investigation of Wrong Way Pavement Alert Devices 
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2319926</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In the State of Ohio between 2017-2021, there were a total of 426 wrong way crashes with 79 fatalities. In an effort to address wrong-way crashes, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has installed signalized systems at some locations with high volumes of these incidents. With safety being a top priority for ODOT there is a need for a low-cost, reliable system that can be installed on all exit ramps (including those in rural areas) that pose a safety threat for wrong way crashes. This new system would provide both a physical and visual warning to drivers that are entering the freeway in the wrong direction and add quicker response times from drivers once alerted to the issue. Currently ODOT is installing systems with cameras and flashing warning signs to notify drivers beyond the standard signage. Present systems are effective but are a very costly system and therefore is not the right solution for every roadway, especially low volume ramps. This would be a low-cost idea that could be used in all desired locations. They could be installed quickly and provide a physical alert to all drivers before they enter the interstates the wrong way. Some objectives for this project include, Identify/develop safe, reliable, and affordable methods to effectively alert wrong-way drivers, Demonstrate the performance of recommended solutions, as approved by ODOT, to validate safety, design, performance, overall effectiveness, and benefit/cost analysis and to Develop an implementation guide of tested solutions based on the best use-case scenarios for each recommendation.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:19:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2319926</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improve Understanding of the Benefits of Safety Data-driven Decision Making</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2093185</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This study will partner with the agencies participating in Evaluation of Low-Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund Study to do the following: (1) evaluate the safety effectiveness of unproven safety countermeasures and to identify and address methodological issues with the development, application, and assessment of crash modification factors (CMFs); (2) Maintain the CMF Clearinghouse and continue to make enhancements for our stakeholders; (3) CMF development for mini-roundabouts; (4) CMF development for wrong-way driving countermeasures; (5) CMF development of bike lane configurations for segments and at intersections; and (6) Continue to improve and update FHWA’s Safety Data Dashboard. This resource converts large and complex datasets into graphical displays that aid in reviewing data trends and making comparisons.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2023 13:53:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2093185</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Strategic Response Plan to Wrong-way Driving Events on Freeways</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071695</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research project aims to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT's) strategic response plan to wrong-way driving (WWD) events on freeways. The study will also attempt to measure the effectiveness of the response plan in having a consistent and well-coordinated response to WWD events. This project will assist in leveraging the existing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) (e.g., Dynamic Message Signs (DMSs) and CCTV cameras) and Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) strategies (e.g., RRSP) along the freeways to effectively and efficiently respond to WWD events in real-time. The specific objectives include: (1) Identify nationwide best practices in responding to WWD events on freeways; (2) Evaluate the effectiveness of the existing WWD response plan included in the RTMC SOGs; and (3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the existing WWD DMS messaging.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2022 11:46:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2071695</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Wrong-Way Driving Entry Points on interstate highways Using land-use Impact Assessment and 911 calls</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948950</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The intense severity of wrong-way driving (WWD) accidents is alarming for traffic management agencies and incentivizing the need for economical, convenient, and efficient management to ensure safety of motorists. Most of the WWD crashes are the result of intoxicated driving, where the driver out of consciousness takes the wrong entrance to highway and put other motorists into a life-threating danger. This study aims to identify WWD entry points of urban highway ramps and develop an analysis methodology. The methodology examines the origin and driving behavior of impaired drivers by utilizing a land-use impact assessment (alcohol-serving establishments (ASE) proximity to exit ramps) and 911 call and crash database. These entry points will help traffic control agencies to apply cost-effective countermeasures for detecting WWD in real time. Even though there are established WWD countermeasures exist in Bexar County highway such as- WWD sign, those countermeasures are not sufficient to solve the problem of WWD. The outcome of this research is to assist DOTs to reduce the number of WWD incidents in state highways. It will help the authorities to geolocate the potential hotspots of WWD in a specific region in which they can implement the warning WWD sensor countermeasure and alarm the motorists in their opposite way and call for law enforcement to intervene. Also, it will provide effective countermeasures that can be implemented region-wide and state-wide particularly at hot-spots zones with frequent incidents of WWD events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2022 06:12:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1948950</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>TRC2105 - Innovative Countermeasures to Deter Wrong-Way Driving</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1765894</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Wrong-way driving (WWD) crashes are largely random events scattered throughout the State’s Interstate and freeway system.  Despite a traffic safety project completed in 2017 that installed enhanced ground mounted signing at exit ramps, WWD crashes continue to take lives on Arkansas Interstates and freeways.  Innovative countermeasures to deter WWD are being tested by other transportation agencies, with some methods showing promise.  New devices include WWD event-activated flashing beacons and signs, directional rumble strips, video detection, driver alerts, and sometimes enforcement alerts.  
This research will analyze WWD crashes in Arkansas and test innovative countermeasures at selected test locations on ARDOT Interstates.  The objectives of this research are to identify potential contributing factors to wrong-way entry onto freeways and Interstates; and to determine effective countermeasures that can be implemented in a cost-effective manner.  To accomplish these objectives, first, existing crash data will be analyzed, possible countermeasures will be identified, and efforts of other states will be reviewed. Next, equipment will be selected to test on Arkansas Interstates, locations identified, and field-testing begun.  The WWD countermeasures will be studied through the research and implementation periods. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2021 12:48:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1765894</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Automating Wrong Way Detection Using Existing CCTV Cameras</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1601823</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Wrong way driving has been defined as “vehicular movement along a travel lane in a direction opposing the legal flow of traffic”. Although wrong way driving crashes occur infrequently accounting for almost 3 percent of all crashes, they have a very high likelihood of resulting in fatal or serious injury crashes. Vaswani found that wrong-way crashes had 27 times higher fatality rates as compared to any other kind of crashes occurring on controlled-access highways in Virginia. Another study, from Michigan, found that 22% of all wrong-way crashes resulted in a fatality, as compared to, only 0.3% percent of all highway crashes resulted in fatality for the same time frame. The main causes of wrong way driving constitute of: (a) Alcohol- In an analysis conducted on FARS database, from 2002-2009, it was found that 60% of wrong way crash drivers had some indications of alcohol involvement; (b) Age- Driver over age of 70 constitute nearly 15 percent of wrong way drivers as compared to only 3 percent of the right way drivers involved in wrong way crashes; (c) Poorly marked ramps- The primary origin was for controlled-access highway was found to be the exit-ramps; (d)	Time of day- Disproportionate amount of the wrong-way fatalities happen during night time.

The causes associated with wrong way crashes tend to make them spatially concentrated to particular stretches of roads, thus making it important to identify and monitor such high-risk locations. FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program recommends generating wrong way monitoring warrants based on total collision and fatal collision rates. If either total wrong-way collision are greater than 0.5 event per mile per year, or a fatal wrong-way collision rate of 0.12 per mile per year and at least 3 wrong-way collisions are recorded for a five-year period, the monitoring warrants are met. This approach is reactive and needs the crash history to develop for a period of at least 3 to 5 years. In this research, the research team proposes to use a pro-active technology that count the number of wrong-way drivers that are detected using image based technology. The proposed solution is discussed in detail in subsequent sections.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:45:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1601823</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Wrong-Way Driving Solutions, Policy, and Guidance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1513307</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research was to develop a handbook for practitioners implementing traditional and advanced safety countermeasures to achieve reductions in wrong-way driving (WWD) incidents and crashes on roadways. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2018 21:37:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1513307</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Strategies to Reduce Wrong Way Movements</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1423760</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Crashes resulting from wrong way driving are rare events but are high profile and serious when they occur. During a six-month span around early 2006, seven people were killed in wrong way crashes in the Charlotte area. The flurry of media attention following this time period brought the topic of wrong way driving to the forefront of the public eye. More recently this fact was highlighted in the summer of 2015 when a highly publicized and horrific crash took the lives of three people on I-85 in Orange County. In addition to being high-profile, wrong way crashes also carry a high cost to society. These crashes typically result in serious injuries or fatalities, with associated costs to society ranging from $564,000 to $10 million per crash. If even a portion of these crashes can be prevented, this would represent substantial savings to the state of North Carolina.
North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) developed reports in 2006 and 2012 in which the wrong way crash problem was examined. The latest report recognized that although wrong way crashes represent a small portion of the total crash picture, certain counties, such as Mecklenburg, Forsyth, and Wake, continue to experience wrong way crashes on their freeways. The report concluded that a systematic approach to design and traffic control may be successful in reducing wrong way crashes. The question at hand is, “What design or traffic control elements should be modified at interchanges associated with wrong way crashes to decrease the likelihood of these crashes?” The goal of this project is to answer that question for the highest priority interchanges on North Carolina freeways.
This project will develop recommendations for geometric elements, traffic control devices, and other strategies to reduce wrong way driving at freeway ramp locations. This will be accomplished by reviewing state-of-the-practice methods for reducing wrong way driving, examining data on wrong way crashes, conducting site visits to examine the field conditions of selected interchanges which have been associated with wrong way crashes, and producing recommendations for modifications to these interchanges and other strategies to decrease the incidence of wrong way driving. 
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Sep 2016 16:22:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1423760</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Understanding Contributing Factors to Wrong-way Crashes and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Countermeasures in Reducing Wrong-way Crash Risk of Older Drivers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1414801</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Although relatively infrequent, when Wrong Way Crashes (WWCs) occur they are much more likely to be fatal, and to involve multiple fatalities, compared to other types of highway crashes. Impairment as a result of drug and/or alcohol consumption is a major contributing factor to WWCs. However, older drivers are also at greater risk of being involved in WWCs. The focus of the current project was assess the effectiveness of different countermeasures in preventing Wrong Way Entries (WWEs), a frequent precursor to WWCs, and reducing confusion regarding highway entry points. A driving simulator study asked older drivers (65+) to enter a highway using an entrance ramp on the left while passing an exit ramp on the left that featured various levels of wrong way countermeasures (minimum required signs and pavement markings defined by the MUTCD, minimum plus the addition of a No Left Turn (R3-2) sign before the lip of the exit ramp, and an enhanced countermeasure condition that included additional signs, larger signs, and enhanced pavement markers. The number of WWEs did not statistically differ as a function of countermeasure level, nor did pre-planned analyses of behavioral driving data reveal differences in uncertainty regarding which ramp (entrance or exit) to enter. Exploratory analyses found that a measure of confusion/uncertainty (speed before the exit ramp) did differ significantly between the minimum and enhanced countermeasure conditions, in line with previous simulator findings that enhanced countermeasures can reduce confusion (Boot, Charness, Mitchum, Roque, Stothart, & Barajas, 2015). While providing some support for the benefit of enhanced countermeasures, results also suggest that WWEs are particularly difficult to prevent. Even in the minimum plus and enhanced conditions featuring multiple redundant cues, some older drivers (2) still entered the exit ramp. This research highlights the need to understand not only the best set of cues to prevent WWEs, but the most effective cues to provide further down the exit ramp (e.g., flashing Wrong Way signs, flashing in pavement LED markers) to encourage retreat once a WWE has occurred.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jul 2016 11:54:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1414801</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluating the Wrong-Way Driving (WWD) Incidents Problem on the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) Roadway System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1364461</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goal is to evaluate the wrong way driving (WWD) incidents problem and potential countermeasures on the Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE's) roadway system.  This includes data collection on WWD incidents on the FTE road network including a pilot study site on SR821, analysis of WWD trends, identification of typical problem areas and possible causes, designing and conducting a WWD survey for FTE customers, and providing recommendations to mitigate WWD incidents on FTE's roadway network.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 08 Aug 2015 01:01:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1364461</guid>
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