Local News in Brief : Davis Seeks a Caltrans Study on Halting Wrong-Way Drivers
Reacting to recent freeway fatalities caused by wrong-way drivers, state Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia) said he will introduce legislation requiring Caltrans to study the possibility of putting barriers on freeway off-ramps to stop errant drivers.
Davis suggested that high-risk off-ramps be equipped with electronic sensors that would be tripped by a wrong-way driver. The sensor would activate spikes that would puncture the car’s tires.
“This unnecessary carnage caused by wrong-way drivers must stop,” Davis said. “I am sure that we have the technology to enable us to install sensors which will detect drivers who might attempt to use the off-ramps to enter a freeway.”
Sensoring devices are already used by Caltrans to activate metered lights on freeway on-ramps.
A Caltrans spokesman said using spikes to prevent vehicles from going up freeway off-ramps would prevent emergency vehicles from using the ramps.
Davis said statistics compiled by the California Highway Patrol show that there were 597 wrong-way accidents on state highways last year, causing 609 deaths and 22,788 injuries.
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