Road Safety Reboot: New Tech to Stop Wrong‑Way Drivers

The Massachusetts Senate recently approved a plan that will boost the state’s wrong‑way detection system, after a fatal crash involving a state trooper. The incident happened early on May 6 when Trooper Kevin Trainor, who had just finished a shift, responded to a call about a Jeep driving south in the northbound lanes of Route 1 near Lynnfield. Roughly twenty minutes later, the two vehicles collided at a low speed. The lawmaker who championed the bill said that wrong‑way driving is “a scourge” on highways and that lawmakers must act. He noted that the idea was inspired by a visit to Connecticut, where similar technology has been expanded. The new measure will add directional striping on ramps and install detection devices that can warn drivers in real time. It will also require the Department of Transportation to set up public service announcements, train officers on wrong‑way incidents, and study how older drivers might be at risk.MassDOT already runs a pilot program that cost $2. 6 million and covers 16 spots on exits and on‑ramps. The Senate bill will start installing sensors at about 600 locations across the state, with plans to grow over time. The bill was passed as an amendment to the $63 billion budget and received unanimous support from senators, including minority leader Bruce Tarr. Governor Maura Healey has backed the proposal and asked MassDOT to prepare a yearly cost report. The House version of the budget did not include this amendment, so legislators will need to reconcile differences before sending the final package for the governor’s signature. The plan reflects a broader effort to reduce highway tragedies, building on lessons learned from the deaths of Trooper Trainor and a teenage hockey captain who died in a wrong‑way crash last summer.