Connected vehicle traffic safety system and a method of warning drivers of a wrong-way travel

A method to avoid crashes with wrong-way drivers driving a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle having an Onboard Unit (OBU) in a wrong way on a highway exit ramp being a one-way traffic lane, the method comprising:

• configuring a traffic signal controller for the one-way traffic lane as a signalized intersection with two approaches, wherein the two approaches include a right-way approach that is programmed as a traffic signal phase dwelling in GREEN and a wrong-way approach that is programmed as a traffic signal phase dwelling in RED;
• transmitting a Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) indication for the RED signal phase, wherein the SPaT indication of the RED signal phase continually indicates a maximum countdown time to the GREEN signal phase;
• detecting the first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle as a wrong-way vehicle;
• and
• handling the first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle as a red light violator using a connected vehicle traffic safety system comprising the traffic signal controller and a roadside unit (RSU).

A connected vehicle traffic safety system, comprising:

• a traffic signal controller configured to operate a traffic signal or configured to act as if a traffic signal was present as a “virtual” traffic signal, wherein the traffic signal is facing a wrong-way traffic and is set to dwell permanently in a RED signal phase;
• and
• a roadside unit (RSU) configured to be located at a one-way traffic lane, wherein the one-way traffic lane is configured as a signalized intersection with a wrong-way approach that is programmed as a traffic signal phase dwelling in RED, wherein the roadside unit (RSU) is configured to transmit a Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) indication for the RED signal phase, wherein the SPaT indication for the RED signal phase continually indicates a maximum countdown time to the GREEN signal phase,
• wherein a first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle having an Onboard Unit (OBU) that is configured to calculate a RED light violation based on at least one of vehicle location data, direction heading data, and speed data provided from the first OBU-equipped vehicle and the SPaT indication of the RED signal phase to detect the first Onboard Unit (OBU)-equipped vehicle as a wrong-way vehicle.