Wrong-Way Crash Deaths Reach 20 In 2022: Here's How CT Plans To Stop Them

CONNECTICUT — The state Bond Commission approved $20 million to purchase and install advanced wrong-way driving detecting systems as the death toll on Connecticut roads and highways marches higher.

There have been 20 fatalities spread across 11 fatal wrong-way crash incidents in 2022, Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Mark Rolfe said at the meeting.

Alcohol was detected in operators for 10 out of 11 of the fatal crashes, Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Gary Eucalitto said. A combination of drugs and alcohol was detected for one operator.

About 80 percent of fatal wrong-way crashes between August 2021 and May 2022 involved some sort of impairment, Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner Gary Eucalitto said at the bond meeting.

“The vast majority of those were alcohol,” he said. “In many cases, they were at 0.2 BAC, in some cases over 0.3, which is a substantial high alcohol impairment.”

The legal driving limit for adults is .08 BAC in Connecticut.

Related: Interactive Map: Wrong Way Crashes Soar In CT

Cannabis was detected in motorists after two of the fatal crashes between August 2021 and May 2022.

“Presence of cannabis does not indicate impairment,” he said. “The only way to know whether someone is impaired by cannabis is to do a drug impairment evaluation.”

DOT is piloting two wrong-way highway driver detection systems. One system flashes lights and beacons at drivers who drive the wrong-way on an exit ramp, Rolfe said. The other system notifies state police of wrong way highway drivers.

Gov. Ned Lamont called the wrong-way crash trend “shocking.”

“Obviously, coming out of the pandemic, we saw a lot of people driving like a bat out of hell and some extreme driving behavior,” he said after the commission hearing.

See also: Tornado Touched Down In CT, National Weather Service Says

• Gussied-Up, Unique Gas Station Readies Brick Oven Pizza
• Medical Examiner Confirms Causes Of Death For Mom & 3 Children

Lamont said he didn’t think that state police activity was a factor in the increase in wrong-way driving.

“They're making the stops were patrolling, especially on Memorial Day and July 4, those big weekends,” Lamont said. “I think you'll find there were plenty of infractions and plenty of stops.”

State police issued 910 total violations during this year’s July 4 traveling weekend, compared with 978 in 2021 and 748 in 2020. The numbers are a far cry from the nearly 1,900 violations issued in 2019. Total DUI arrests this past July 4 weekend were more than 2020 and 2021, and the same as 2019.

Fatal wrong-way crashes have soared this year and have already eclipsed 2019, 2020 and 2021’s year-end wrong-way fatalities.