Image credit: Wikimedia CommonsWith eight deaths in the state related to wrong-way driving so far this year, Arizona Department of Transportation officials are enacting a pilot program to deter drivers from driving in the wrong direction on highways and roadways throughout the state.

According to Senator Karen Fann, vice-chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee, the number of incidents involving wrong-way drivers has increased in recent years.

"I haven't seen as many in my entire life as I've seen in the past five years," said Fann, who owns a highway construction company.

The detection system, which uses thermal camera technology, will be first tested on a 15-mile stretch of Phoenix’s Interstate 17.

The system will illuminate signs alerting drivers that they are driving in the wrong direction on a highway or roadway while simultaneously contacting the Department of Public Safety, which will alert other drivers in the area using highway message boards.

Officials believe that the faster notifications may lead to faster response times, thus saving lives.

According to officials, the cameras will be installed by the end of November.