Intentional wrong-way driving happens, for instance, if someone has missed their exit and then reverses on the hard shoulder or if a driver turns around in a traffic jam to drive back to the last exit on the hard shoulder. Such actions are strictly illegal but cannot be prevented through structural or road design measures.
Unintentional Wong-Way Driving
There are several causes of unintentional wrong-way driving:
- poor road layout and signage,
- lack of visibility,
- disoriented drivers,
- distracted drivers.
Poor Road Layout and Signage
Fog and darkness, especially in combination with poor road layout, can result in unintentional wrong-way driving. Signs that are difficult to read or display too much information may disorient and confuse drivers. Several of the incidents of wrong-way driving that we analyzed involved drivers who had gotten lost in complex freeway interchanges for some time. They ended up so disoriented that they drove in the wrong direction. Freeway truck stops and service stations are also problematic. Since people can move about freely in these areas, there is also a chance that they may re-enter the freeway in the wrong direction.
As we know from research into human error, several issues usually combine to result in a mistake being made, such as time pressure and distraction. The same is true when it comes to wrong-way driving (i.e. orientation problems and distraction).
One of the most common questions is: Why do wrong-way drivers fail to notice their mistake for so long and keep driving in the wrong direction for several miles? Research clearly shows that most drivers quickly notice their mistake. They suddenly find themselves in extraordinarily stressful circumstances, however, leaving them unable to think of a rational solution. One driver, for example, when asked why he drove in the wrong direction for such a long time, replied: “I was looking for a good spot to turn around.” We all know that there is no such spot on a freeway.
