KAYSVILLE, Utah — Kaysville Police Officer Kalawai De Los Santos faced a daunting task earlier this year: stopping a wrong-way driver on I-15. Despite the challenging situation, he was remarkably prepared. "I basically treated this as like a shooting situation," Officer De Los Santos said, "I knew innocent lives were at risk."
According to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), six people died in wrong-way crashes in Utah last year. This statistic caught the attention of Salt Lake resident James Giacoma. After FOX 13 News requested viewer ideas on improving road safety, Giacoma reached out, confident his proposal could save lives.
His suggestion involved a system designed to detect wrong-way drivers on freeway off-ramps and use bright lights to alert drivers and encourage them to turn around.
It turns out UDOT has been exploring a similar concept. "In fact, I think great minds think alike," said John Gleason, a UDOT spokesman.
FOX 13 News arranged for Giacoma and Gleason to meet at the freeway on and off-ramps at 21st South and Fourth West in South Salt Lake, where Giacoma presented his idea.
"Once it was activated, bright lights right into the windshield to try to be a deterrent from getting the car all the way onto the main interstate," Giacoma explained. "And then about another 50 feet away, have a backup, because you never know what drivers are going to do."
Gleason shared that UDOT has been implementing wrong-way driving detection systems. Although they don't use bright lights directly on drivers, the systems illuminate wrong-way signs with LED lights.
“Our engineers, in the last year or so, have been putting in these wrong-way driving detection systems," Gleason said. "It's that same concept of giving instant feedback to drivers as they're approaching the wrong way. We want to make sure they don't get out into the main line traffic."
UDOT plans to expand the system as funding allows and hopes to continue making Utah's roads safer.
Giacoma was grateful for Gleason's willingness to listen to his proposal. Deterring wrong-way driving is an urgent matter, and as Giacoma's story shows, ideas from local residents can contribute to safer roads.
If you have a suggestion for enhancing road safety in Utah, share it with FOX 13 News here. Your idea could capture UDOT's attention and help save lives.
DRIVEN TO CHANGE
