Politics
Families urge Oklahoma to test alerts for drivers facing wrong-way traffic
An Oklahoma Capitol study scheduled for Oct. 19 will examine ways to warn motorists when a driver is traveling the wrong way, including phone alerts and highway signs. The effort follows the 2020 death of 19-year-old UCO student Marissa Murrow.
Oklahoma lawmakers and transportation officials are set to examine options for alerting drivers to wrong-way traffic, including a possible pilot program using mobile notifications and electronic highway signs.
The interim study, hosted by state Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 19 at the Oklahoma State Capitol. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and representatives from Arkansas and Arizona are expected to take part, along with Victims of Impaired Drivers Oklahoma, or VOID OK.
Kristy and Jeff Murrow formed VOID OK after an impaired wrong-way driver killed their 19-year-old daughter, Marissa, a University of Central Oklahoma student, in 2020. The couple requested the study as part of their advocacy for measures to prevent similar crashes.
Kristy Murrow said she hopes drivers traveling in the correct direction could receive a warning when danger is ahead—through a phone alert or a message-board sign—rather than only being told that traffic is backed up. Such a warning could give motorists a chance to respond, she said.
Miller said the study will consider several approaches, including dynamic message boards and alert systems, with the most suitable option potentially varying by location. Arizona is already running a pilot program developed after a 2015 study of wrong-way driving, she said. Arkansas representatives are also expected to share information.
The Murrows hope the study leads to legislation supporting a pilot in Oklahoma. Miller said the session is intended to consider what combination of tools could work for the state.