Again we have multiple reports across the United States of wrong-way drivers on the Interstate Highway system. Most are drunken drivers. That’s the number one cause. Suggesting new or different signs isn’t the answer to correcting the problem. After all drunks aren’t prone to read because they aren’t thinking clearly. Taking away the drunk’s license isn’t helping. Instead we probably need to think outside the box and take away their right to buy alcohol. That’s right; take away their keys to the bar, the liquor store and the grocery store. How? Make everyone’s driver’s license scannable with a bar code and when the drunk get’s a DUI or DWI restrict their license making it illegal to sell them booze.  Will it work? Who knows, we won’t know until we try it. What we do know is that it’s not working with what we are doing and it’s all costing us an arm and a leg.

The Lombardi Law Firm site has an entire wrong-way accident section dedicated to the interstate highways in Iowa. If you would like to see the common threads with this type of accident I’d suggest you follow this link and perhaps I’ll add them to the end of this analysis. 

CHP: Wrong-way driver arrested in Santa Cruz
San Jose Mercury News
A wrong-way driver is under arrest after the California Highway Patrol says he purposefully entered a highway into oncoming traffic, killing a 49-year-old woman. CHP officer Sarah Jackson told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that 29-year-old Eric Weers drove ...

Wrong Way Driver Diane Schuler Was Not a Bad Mother
The Stir (blog)
When we think of 2-year-old Erin Schuler and the other three children killed when Erin's mother Diane drove her minivan the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway, our instinct is to want to immediately dismiss Diane Schuler as a horrible person and an ...

Woman Killed By Wrong-Way Driver On Hwy 17 IDed
KTVU San Francisco
A woman who was killed in a crash caused by a wrong-way driver on state Highway 17 in Santa Cruz on Monday was identified by the Santa Cruz County coroner's office as Ana Barajas. The crash happened at about 3:10 pm on southbound Highway 17 near where ...

Wrong-way driver collides with septic truck
WRAL.com
Fayetteville, NC — The driver of a pickup truck headed the wrong way on a Fayetteville street was seriously injured Friday when the pickup collided head-on with a tanker truck, police said. A 2010 Ford Ranger pickup went the wrong way on an exit ramp ...

911 tapes from accident with wrong way driver
WTKR Your NewsChannel 3
Mementos and memories of 18-year-old Jazmine Foreman mark the spot on Moses Grandy Trail where Dennis Shea drove his car the wrong way causing the crash that killed them both. "He's completely out of his mind and he has never been like this before," ...

Wrong-Way Driver Kills Herself, Rockingham Father
WFMY News 2
Tubbs and the Suburban driver, David Earl Spears, of Rockingham, died at the scene. Spears' wife and 13-year-old son, who were passengers in the Suburban, were treated and released from Central Carolina Hospital. Troopers said the wreck is still under ...

Avon officer struck by wrong-way driver on I-70
Vail Daily News
Ticer said the accident is one reason he encourages drivers on the interstate to stay in the right lane unless they're passing other vehicles, especially at night. “Wrong-way drivers are usually in the left lane on a four-lane highway, because it's the ...

Wrong-way driver causes collision that sends DART bus crashing into Salvation ...
Dallas Morning News (subscription)
By JON NIELSEN A wrong-way driver slammed into a DART bus Saturday morning sending it crashing through a North Oak Cliff business, DART officials said. Four people suffered injuries including the bus driver, its one passenger and the two people inside ...

Bayonne cops: Wrong-way driver charged with DWI
The Jersey Journal - NJ.com
By Toni-Ann Cerbo/The Jersey Journal A 37-year-old Edison man was charged with driving while intoxicated after traveling the wrong way on a one-way street late Saturday in Bayonne, police reports said. Robert English was arrested and charged with DWI, ...

Wrong-way driver causes crash that injures four
StarNewsOnline.com
WILMINGTON | A crash involving a wrong-way driver suspected of being under the influence shut down Carolina Beach Road for several hours early Sunday morning after colliding with a sport utility vehicle, according to the Wilmington Police Department. ...

Police identify wrong-way driver in weekend crash – Behind the ...
By Vicky Eckenrode
Police identify wrong-way driver in weekend crash. by Vicky Eckenrode. DWI charges are pending against Kenneth Wayne Starling, 28, who remains hospitalized today as well as the driver of another car involved in a wreck early Sunday ...

Wrong-Way Driver Officially Charged with Homicide - Santa Cruz, CA ...
Eric Weers, 29, of Soquel, is accused of intentionally driving the wrong way on Highway 17, killing a Santa Cruz woman.

Wrong-way driver causes crash that injures four | Wilmington, NC News
By Wilmington Editor
Wrong-way driver causes crash that injures four. More: continued here. This entry was posted on Monday, July 11th, 2011 at 10:07 am and is filed under Wilmington. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. ...

DPD Holds Benefit For Officer Killed By 'Wrong Way Driver' « CBS ...
By sstoddart
The Detroit Police Department is sponsoring a special benefit for a 16-year veteran of the force who was struck down and killed by a drunk driver.

Wrong-Way Driver Kills Herself, Rockingham Father | digtriad.com
Wrong-Way Driver Kills Herself, Rockingham Father. 4:52 PM, Jul 10, 2011 | comments. Courtesy: WRAL.com. Courtesy: WRAL.com ...

Avon officer struck by wrong-way driver on I-70 | VailDaily.com
AVON, Colorado — An Eagle woman was arrested just after 1 a.m. Thursday after allegedly causing a head-on crash with an Avon police officer on (read more)

Wrong-way driver identified in fatal Nash County crash
WRAL.com
Two troopers were working overnight to cover Nash and Edgecombe counties, and both were already responding to calls when the first call about the wrong-way driver came in, authorities said Wednesday. One trooper was three miles behind the wrong-way ...

'Stop sticks' thrown out on I-10 halt wrong-way driver
KENS 5 TV
by Brian New / KENS 5 In the past twelve months, dozens have been injured and two San Antonio police officers have been killed by wrong-way drivers. Friday morning, however; a wrong-way driver was stopped by the police department's latest tool before ...

Wrong-way driver on Highway 99 dies in wreck; 5 hurt
Modesto Bee
Sandra Cardenas, 32, of Fresno was driving about 65 mph when she spotted the wrong-way driver. Walton said she swerved left to try to avoid the crash, hitting the concrete median wall. Despite her evasive maneuver, Walton said the median wasn't wide ...

AP-IL--Wrong-Way Driver-Citations, 1st Ld-Writethru,0134
Chicago Tribune
AP An 82-year-old woman has been cited with six traffic violations after a weekend accident in which she injured two pedestrians while she was allegedly driving the wrong way on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Chicago Police Officer John Mirabelli tells ...

Drunken driver reportedly went wrong way for 14 miles before fatal wreck
Kansas City Star
The victim told police the driver drove at him from one side of the highway to the other and appeared to be trying to hit him, police said. At least nine motorists called 911 to complain about a wrong-way driver on I-70 or I-435 Monday morning. ...

EXCLUSIVE: Wrong-way driver's daughter talks about father's recent behavior
NBC17.com
Gomez's Virginia driver's license was suspended. He had convictions for being drunk in public, speeding and driving with a revoked license. Gomez moved in with his mother in Raleigh earlier this year. Maria Vicenta told NBC 17 that she last saw her son ...

Wrong-way driver, family attacked in Falls
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS — A 46-year-old man told police he and his family were attacked by several people after driving the wrong way down Eighth Street Saturday night. The man said he and his family had just finished watching the downtown fireworks display ...

Wrong-way driver injures members of borough family
Waterbury Republican American
WATERBURY -- A Naugatuck family survived a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver on Route 8 late Sunday night. Police say 59-year-old Jonathan Whitlock was driving his SUV north on the southbound portion of Route 8 near Exit 35 when he slammed into ...

Wrong Way Driver Nets DWI
North Country Gazette
MOREAU—A 35-year-old Glens Falls woman is in Albany Medical Center with multiple leg fractures after she collided with a newspaper delivery truck near Exit 17 of the Northway. State Police said Meghan Leary was traveling southbound in the northbound ...

Wrong-way drunk driver arrested on I-43
Today's TMJ4
"Bentley performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests. A Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) was administered at the scene with a result of .30 PAC." "This was the sixth wrong-way driver on the freeway system this year and the third in less than a ...

Wrong-way drunk driver arrested on I-43 - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's ...
A drunk driver traveling the wrong direction on I-43 southbound near Capitol Dr. was arrested early Thursday, the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department said.

Charges Filed In Wrong-Way I-435 Crash - Kansas City News Story ...
Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker files charges against an 18-year-old man in connection with a wrong-way crash that led to the deaths of a mother and her daughter on the Fourth of July. ... with a wrong-way crash that led to the deaths of a mother and her daughter on the Fourth of July. Authorities believe the driver of the SUV that caused the crash is Felix Solano-Gallardo, 18, of Kansas City, Kan., but they are still attempting to confirm his identity. ...

FAMILY: Survivors In Wrong-Way Fatal Had Not Been Drinking
The Highway Patrol said alcohol was a factor for both drivers in the crash that killed the wrong-way driver and a backseat passenger in the other car. ...

 

Wrong-way Drivers on the interstate highway

If you think wrong-way drivers on the Interstate Highway system is a once-in-a-while thing, think again. Look at these reports from Google. It seems like there is an epidemic of wrong-way collisions and crashes out there. We've had several wrong-way drivers and accidents in Iowa.

About wrong-way drivers

Wrong way drivers present an obvious danger to all motorists on our highways. 

The most recent available crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates wrong way drivers are involved in 1.5 percent of all fatal crashes.

Drivers who travel the wrong way on one way highways generally fall into one of eight different categories:

• Intoxicated driver
• Older drivers who easily get confused
• Purposeful acts including attempts to commit suicide and criminals attempting to elude the police
• Inattentive drivers who mistake an off-ramp for an on-ramp
• Mental defect or disease
• Prescription drug intoxication
• Inexperience
• GPS providing incorrect, inaccurate or confusing information

Safety tips and information related to wrong way driver situations:

• Watch far ahead for signs of a possible wrong way driver, looking for signs similar to pending problems or developing emergency situations such as other traffic braking or swerving to avoid something, or the obvious - headlights coming in the opposite direction.
• Caution against driving long periods in the left lane on freeways, especially on curves and over a hill or any rise in the road where you aren’t able to clearly see ahead.
• Be aware that wrong way drivers usually drive in the passing lane believing they are actually on a two-lane highway.
• The most common types of wrong way crashes are head-on or sideswipe crashes.

What should you do if you see a wrong-way driver?

• Get to the shoulder and stop.
• If you can’t get to the shoulder, slow down and attempt to safely stop your vehicle by pulling to the right.
• Sound your horn.
• Put on your lights and flash the high beams.
• Call 9-1-1.
• Before getting in the car wear your seat belts.
• Drive in the right hand lane of travel on the Interstate.
• When passing or coming to the crest of a hill look ahead for a wrong-way driver making sure the lane is clear.
• Assume when in the left hand lane of a divided highway that you may come upon a wrong-way driver.
• When driving on a divided highway stay vigilant and pay attention to what is ahead of you. Avoid allowing distractions to take your attention off the road ahead.

How can drivers avoid wrong-way driving?

• Don’t drive drunk.
• When coming to a divided highway come to a complete stop, look at and read the signs, making sure you know which way to go.
• Don’t allow vehicles to the rear to rush you.
• Stay off the telephone when driving.
• Don’t allow distractions to interfere with being vigilant about your driving.
• If you’re a young driver, don’t drive when the other passengers are a distraction.
• If you’re an elderly driver, get evaluated once a year to see if your senses and skill level allow you to safely drive. Don’t be so stubborn about giving up your driver’s license that you ignore the signs of perception difficulties. Invest in and use a GPS.
• Pay particular attention when driving north for southbound wrong-way drivers. For whatever reason there were more of these direction wrong-way drivers than any other.
• Pay particular attention when driving after midnight and 2:30 a.m.

What else needs to happen to reduce wrong-way collisions?

• States could identify the locations of repeated wrong-way entry points. Those points could be redesigned including tire puncture equipment such as we see in use at most parking ramps.
• The Court’s must get very tough on drunk drivers and those who cause collisions from being on cell phones (talking or texting); more than they already have been.
• The DOT should begin an education campaign for drivers to recognize and avoid wrong-way drivers.
• The DOT should begin an education campaign to instruct drivers what to do when a wrong-way driver approaches.
• States should further study wrong-way avoidance road and sign designs.
• State DOT’s should consider a different middle line design with hash marks bent in the direction of travel and against the opposing direction.
• Juries in civil actions need to send a clear message to offenders with large punitive damage awards.
• The DOT needs to evaluate older drivers annually for visual and mental awareness; taking away driving privileges where there is risk.
• Lawyers need to plead punitive damages in wrong-way collisions.
• Victims need to be educated on what to do when they are involved in a wrong-way collision.
• Witnesses of wrong-way collisions need to get involved with identifying themselves to police officers investigating a wrong-way collision. Those witnesses may have very valuable information to helping identify the entry points, causes and preventive measures.
• DOT accident forms need to be amended to allow the collection of information to identify characteristics associated with causing wrong-way entry points, times when wrong-way collisions are most likely to occur and driver characteristics of those likely to drive the wrong-way. Children and friends of older drivers need to get involved with identifying those likely wrong-way drivers.
• States should consider a radio system that would allow public service interruptions, like what is done on television when a weather emergency is eminent. It wouldn’t be perfect (not all radios are on) but something is perhaps better than nothing.

If you’re in an accident on I-35, I-80 or I-235 or any of the other interstate highways in Iowa give me a call. If on I-35 we can help you; so feel free to contact us and as always because we’d rather you call sooner than later.

• Steve Lombardi, 1300 37^th Street, Suite 6, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
• Tel: 515-222-1110 Fax: 515-222-0718 Email: sdlombardi@aol.com