Safety Tip: Guarding Against Wrong-Way Drivers
Each year, about 360 people in the U.S. die in wrong-way crashes. Here's advice on how to limit the risk.
VIDEO: App Warns Motorists of Wrong-Way Drivers
On Thanksgiving Day, three people lost their lives in Hillsborough County, Fla., after a driver traveling northbound in the southbound center lane of I-75 crashed into a car. All three people were under the age of 25. The tragedy once again places a spotlight on the deadly problem of wrong-way driving, which each year claims the lives of about 360 people in the U.S.
Drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs are at a much higher risk for entering a divided highway on the wrong side, so the holiday season is a particularly high-risk period for wrong-way driving — especially at night.
Some states, including Arizona, Texas, Florida and California, are taking new measures to combat the problem. To view a video about Arizona’s new app that alert drivers when a wrong-way driver enters a stretch of I-17, click on the photo or link below the headline.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles offers these safety tips for motorists to avoid collisions with wrong-way drivers:
Remember this motto: Stay right at night. Wrong-way collisions occur most often at night and in left or center lanes. Most wrong-way drivers realize they’re impaired and opt to drive in what they think are the slower lanes. They aren’t aware that their right lane is actually the left lane.
If you see a wrong-way driver approaching ahead, immediately reduce your speed and pull off the roadway. Call 911 immediately.
Stay alert. Do not drive distracted. Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Learn and obey all traffic signs. If you drive past a wrong-way sign, turn around immediately.
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