Some people are terrible drivers. And, that’s fine if they don’t bother other people with their bad driving, but they do. Oh boy do they bother people. Sometimes, it’s not just an annoyance either. Driving the wrong way on roads has been a significant safety issue since the interstate highway system was first created in the late 1950s.
Earlier this year, an off-duty police officer was killed when another driver, with a blood-alcohol content three times the legal limit, collided with the officer while driving in the wrong direction down the road.
Another incident happened soon after involving three members of the same family – they were killed on I-17 by a driver who had been traveling 25 miles in the wrong direction before crashing into them head-on.
Stories like this are, unfortunately, not uncommon. That’s why some states are taking action now.
Studies performed at Washington State Department of Transportation show that the vast majority of accidents are averted by drivers discovering that they are going the wrong way before they hit oncoming traffic. However, for some unknown reason, some drivers head straight into oncoming traffic, even when sober.
Estimates put fatalities at 350 people every year as a result of wrong-way crashes. What can be done about it? Plenty.
Studies Are Being Done
Before any changes can be made, studies must be done. What confuses most engineers is why drivers drive the wrong way on roads. The Washington State DOT is currently conducting a number of studies that involve traffic logging and recording. The aim of these studies is to discover exactly what’s happening on the road when individuals travel the wrong way.
The state’s DOT study over a 10-year period has shown that an 80 mile section of I-82 is especially troublesome for drivers. The road connects Richland, Kennewish, and Pasco to Yakima, Washington.
Between 1986 and 1996, there were 30 wrong-way crashes, 11 which resulted in 15 fatalities and 3 serious injuries. A survey of the road may help law enforcement and the state stop these accidents before they happen.
The study uses cameras, sensors, and flashing lights to alert drivers and record and monitor the incident. Special equipment relays the information to a remote station where the information is then analyzed.
On some sections of road on I-5, electromagnetic sensors are embedded in the ramp pavement at Bow Hill Road, to detect wrong way traffic. Once a vehicle has been identified as moving in the wrong direction, the sensors send a signal to a road sign that flashes a warning to the driver – “wrong way.”
The message flashes for several minutes. At the same time, a closed-circuit video records the event to help civil and traffic engineers complete an ongoing traffic study. The end-goal of the study is to reduce the number of incidents on the road, making it safer for everyone.
New Signs
If the pilot test is successful, new signs may be rolled out all over the state. Right now, the studies are attempting to determine if modifications to the road can be made to make it safer. For example, in some areas of Washington, barriers that have been erected alongside onramps are being scaled back or removed, because it was determined that drivers could not see the ramp, and were entering the wrong way.
In some instances, it’s not the fault of the driver, but rather ignorance about the area they are driving in. For out-of-state drivers, some roadways prove challenging to navigate. By incorporating better visual cues for on and off-ramps, and by using signs that alert drivers when they are traveling in the wrong direction, lives could be saved, and disasters averted.
Enforcing DWI Laws
For incidents that are caused by DWI, some say that tougher laws need to be passed, but the courts routinely show no mercy for drunk drivers. This Riverside car accident lawyer has extensive experience with these types of cases – the liability created by a drunk driver is nearly incalculable. The damage done is rarely paid for in a civil case, and lives are changed forever.
But, for some, it’s not enough. Driving while drunk, or even while drowsy, creates a serious problem for those who are following the law. And, because the wrong-way vehicles come on fast, there’s often little that can be done in the moment.
Whether the studies done by Washington state prove fruitful for the rest of the nation remain to be seen. But, one thing is sure: wrong way driving is completely preventable.
Attorney Maryam Parman has been helping California accident victims fight for financial compensation since 1998. As a founding member of the Avrek Law Firm, she represents clients in a range of personal injury, wrongful death and insurance bad faith matters. For more than 15 years, Ms. Parman and her attorneys have won in excess of $100 million in settlements and judgments. There are almost no types of injury cases that she has not addressed, and her extensive experience allows her to maximize financial recovery for her clients time and time again.