Wrong Way Drivers - Epidemic

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu May 04, 2017 2:22 pm

It's May and we've experienced @ 30 wrong way driver's..

Last week 2 young college girls (sister's) were headed North - a young man (attends same college) entered the freeway headed South.

The problem is the young man entered the freeway using the Off Ramp.

Naturally this was a head on collision & every one died.

Entering the freeway using the Off Ramp - how is this happening?

Is there another STATE experiencing "Wrong Way Driver Epidemic"? :-5

Is it my State lacking in proper safety - signs- engineering - what??

Patsy

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Thu May 04, 2017 2:34 pm

Im trying to figure out how youd be capable of entering an off ramp without others beeping you to warn of the mistake. And they all died? Whats the speed limit on your ramps?

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu May 04, 2017 3:06 pm

Mag

Usually entering a ramp to the freeway your entering from a complete stop or entering/merging from a speed from 25 to 30 mph and increasing as your entering the freeway.

This is why I'm asking - we've had @ 30 wrong way drivers this year.

Patsy

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Thu May 04, 2017 3:27 pm

Im trying to put myself in that position..youd have to turn into traffic before the off ramp exit.cant be done here ....gutters and barriers...."wrong way go back" signs.

You mentioned young people. Better driving instruction? Most of our on ramps have traffic lights just at the point of merging onto the freeway so its impossible to speed and it regulates the traffic.

I dont know . Very sad that young people have died though. 30 sounds a lot though, maybe look at the infrastructure of the roads? Sounds like some engineering is wanting

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu May 04, 2017 3:50 pm

Mag

Sounds like the freeways are pretty much set up them same.

I've never heard of this happening and now this year alone we have 30 - and the majority end with a head on collision with all party's dying.

After investigation - authorities announce the wrong way driver is under the influence. Authorities posted more signs "wrong way go back" etc.

I asked hubby - if the legalizing marijuana has any merit in the increase of wrong way drivers?

I also wonder if spikes were used for the wrong way - at least the vehicle wouldn't go too far?

Patsy

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Fri May 05, 2017 1:56 am

We get the odd incident usually someone taking the wrong turning off a roundabout. Bigger problem is the occasional foreign driver forgetting what side of the road they should be on.

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Fri May 05, 2017 12:15 pm

I came across one place (don't remember where) that had a problem with this sort of thing happening on a local Dual Carriageway, so they put in some of those sprung plates like they have in many car parks that go down when heading in the right direction, but remain up, blocking your path if heading the wrong way.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Fri May 05, 2017 1:07 pm

It is pretty hard to miss the bright red "DO NOT ENTER" and "WRONG WAY" signs on both sides of a highway exit ramp.

btw: I wouldn't worry too much about mj legalization making things worse. From my observations over the years, the stoned drivers tend to be overly cautious while the drunk drivers tend to be more aggressive.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri May 05, 2017 2:50 pm

Wandrin

Are you saying the "wrong way driver" is a drunk driver?

We've had drunks on the road for years - but wrong way - we never had this. it's a growing statistic.

Patsy

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Fri May 05, 2017 3:55 pm

I'm saying I don't know what the cause of the increase is, but that I find it to be unlikely that it is mj. For one thing, it will be next year before it is legal to sell it.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri May 05, 2017 4:25 pm

Wandrin

MJ will be legal next year where your at?

We have MJ stores every where here. We've been legal for @ 2 yrs. I'm speculating why or how some one is entering ON the OFF ramp - I just don't understand how this wrong way is increasing or if any other state has a epidemic of wrong way??

Patsy

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Fri May 05, 2017 4:58 pm

Patsy Warnick;1508958 wrote: Wandrin

MJ will be legal next year where your at?

We have MJ stores every where here. We've been legal for @ 2 yrs. I'm speculating why or how some one is entering ON the OFF ramp - I just don't understand how this wrong way is increasing or if any other state has a epidemic of wrong way??

Patsy

Oops. I thought you were in California.

magentaflame · Post by **magentaflame** » Fri May 05, 2017 5:32 pm

Theres always been drugs and alcohol around and always drug and alcohol affected drivers.

Its probably a combination of many factors. This sorts of things spike up and down all the time . The media may also be concentrating on bringing the issue to the forefront for its own reasons as well.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri May 05, 2017 6:13 pm

Mag

I agree with you

I also thought about the media angle - but 30 wrong way.

I was interested if any other state was experiencing wrong way drivers - do other states keep stats or is it a issue at all.

This last wreck was horrible - I don't know how one could make this mistake?

Patsy

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Fri May 05, 2017 8:26 pm

In California, the number goes up and down, as far as accidents caused by wrong way drivers. I didn't see a spike when I checked the numbers, although I haven't seen the numbers for this year. They say that here, 0.15% of collisions are caused by wrong wayers.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:49 am

We had another wrong way driver - this vehicle hit a tanker then became airborne and landed on the freeway below.

How is this happening?

What can be done to stop this?

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:14 am

Another wrong way driver yesterday @ 7 P.M.

2 died and & critical.

Department of transportation doesn't seem to have any answers..:-5

What is happening??

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:13 am

Another wrong way driver last night.

Authorities pulled the vehicle over without incident.

What is happening? How is this happening?

Patsy

FourPart · Post by **FourPart** » Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:18 am

Really simple solution...

https://www.theworkplacedepot.co.uk/flow-plates

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 4:25 am

It's a crazy statistic, though. There's got to be a reason. I'm assuming it's just where you are.

Are they all getting it wrong at exactly the same place? Is there a usual warning sign that ISN'T in place at that point? Are they all going to the same place and something in the signs puts them wrong? These things have probably been looked at. But it is very peculiar.

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:57 am

Clod's right.

If they are all entering the highway at the same intersection, then there must be a problem with markings for the ramps there, so they are driving onto and exit ramp, and down to the wrong lanes.

There are a couple of intersections near me where you make a left turn to enter the highway going westbound, and the westbound exit is right there next to the on ramp. If not paying attention, you can turn too soon and find yourself facing the exit ramp traffic.

An elderly fellow did that the other day, and was half a mile onto the highway before realizing his error. He pulled over and called for help. All turned out well.

Had he just kept going, or tried to turn around, he may have caused an accident.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 6:01 pm

Clod

The wrong way drivers seem to be on any given freeway.

Our stats show 1 @ week & usually deadly.

Dept. of transportation posted more signs - which is doing nothing.

I have never heard of this and/or this amount of wrong way.

If this was a serial killer - the swat team would be out.

Some thing is seriously wrong - engineer wise..?

Patsy

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 1:58 am

Well, like you I'm puzzled and a little intrigued and definitely rather horrified. As you say, there's a killer on the loose.

I've never been to the USA... Do you have set layouts for intersections? I mean, do all "joining the freeway from the right" intersections have the same layout? Does it vary from state to state or is it down to the individual contractor?

Marijuana doesn't seem to make particularly bad drivers - I've been driven by a few and not felt there was an issue. On the other hand these were experienced users and a new user might be a different matter. Actually WOULD be a different matter, thinking about it. Is it possible the victims were all new users?

I would guess your autopsies would note the presence of something like marijuana? That ought to be checkable. Or any other drug, for that matter, just in case you are having a surge in some other drug use.

Are there any figures from previous years? Just to be sure this isn't an old phenomenon that's only just been noticed (stranger things have happened...)

If you were happy to say what state we are talking about, I could have a wander on the internet and see if there are any figures or relevant material.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:37 pm

Clod

Not sure when the stats for wrong way started here in Arizona.

This issue scares me.

Sorry I don't have much info on this & your welcome to google - I very curious if other states keep stats on this issue?

I've been busy with my Hubby in the Hospital.

Thanks for the interest - our transportation Co. don't seem to be anxious for a remedy. There's enough people affected that these family's should be pounding down the Capital's Door.

Patsy

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Sat Jun 24, 2017 9:29 am

Ok, it seems that you had 63 fatal crashes due to driving in the opposing lane in 2016 and 2015 (p31 of the 2016 report: Table of crashes by type of driver violation; p17 of the 2015 report ditto)

https://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-sour ... f?sfvrsn=4

https://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-sour ... f?sfvrsn=8

Assuming we are talking about the same sort of crash, you seems to be doing a bit worse this year so far for this sort of crash, but not exceptionally so.

That still begs the question of how it's happening at all. Wrong way plates might well be the solution.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sun Jun 25, 2017 8:06 am

Well, the state is investigating. Apparently they have determined to be an epidemic-like event.

Not sure how they go about fixing it.

I know that Arizona has a lot of elderly, and a lot of problems with drugs. And that there have been a number of incidents in other states where alcohol/drugs were involved, and suicide appears to be a factor.

Could there be a connection there?

In Florida there are similar problems, it seems.

The NTSB did a report in 2010 and determined that Alcohol was a significant contributing factor. (nearly 70% of WW drivers exhibited higher than the legal limit BAC.)

The problem had been under investigation since at least 2008 nationwide.

Found some published information

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersectio ... opics/wwd/

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Jul 05, 2017 12:17 pm

Yet another wrong way driver.

This vehicle entered @ 2 P.M. - caused 6 other wrecks before the vehicle ran into a guard rail. Traffic was backed up for hours - lines of traffic @ 8 miles long sitting in 115 degree weather.:-5 horrible

Lars

I was grasping at straws for ideas?? There has always been drunk drivers (impaired) but on the freeway the wrong way?

I don't know - There is no urgency to correct/solve this problem. It's every week..

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Fri Aug 09, 2019 6:16 pm

We had 5 wrong way drivers last week.

Today we had a large Semi Truck going the wrong way.

8/1/1019 we've had a total of 72 wrong way drivers = 9 wrong way drivers a Month.

How is this happening?

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:01 am

Yesterday morning bright & early another Wrong Way Driver.

Single lady driving the wrong way - hit a semi truck - she was ejected from her car - the freeway was closed for hours during the morning commute.

Our stats for wrong way drivers are increasing when the stats should be going down from last year? Solution - don't drive in the HOV Lane since majority wrong way drivers stay to the right which is the HOV lane...

Why is this happening? Do you/your state have this epidemic of wrong way drivers?

Patsy

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 12:31 pm

Noon News - wrong way driver last night -other drivers phoned in & authorities stopped the vehicle.

any suggestions for a solution?

Patsy

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:52 pm

Patsy Warnick;1524395 wrote: Noon News - wrong way driver last night -other drivers phoned in & authorities stopped the vehicle.

any suggestions for a solution?

Patsy

Those pop-up spike racks on the road that pop tires when the vehicle is going the wrong way?

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Thu Aug 15, 2019 3:04 am

Are there Huge NO ENTRY signs right across the road covering all lanes ? At a height that would allow a high HGV to go under it from the correct direction.

We do have the occasional wrong-way driver in the UK, but it is fairly rare I think.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Thu Aug 15, 2019 10:55 am

Lars

The pop up spikes were suggested & voted out?

We have larger than life signs - reader boards that will warn drivers when a wrong way driver is detected or reported - but really nothing to stop a driver to enter the wrong way.

I don't understand how this is happening - it's daily & horrible outcome.

Patsy

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Aug 17, 2019 4:57 pm

Patsy Warnick;1524419 wrote: Lars

The pop up spikes were suggested & voted out?

We have larger than life signs - reader boards that will warn drivers when a wrong way driver is detected or reported - but really nothing to stop a driver to enter the wrong way.

I don't understand how this is happening - it's daily & horrible outcome.

Patsy

On both sides of the road off of the driving lanes, say every 1/2 mile or so in the heavy offensive wrong way areas, they could post a 4 foot high RED sign with 1 foot high WHITE letters that says: WRONG WAY in the most popular languages. The sign would be facing opposite the on coming traffic.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:11 pm

Cars

Now that's a good idea - but that's expecting the wrong way driver to read and that driver didn't read the other warning signs... But, it could alert them?

We had another wrong way driver yesterday morning - as everyone was trying to leave for a weekend - they sat in traffic for hours in our heat of 115 degrees. At this incident authorities were handing our water to vehicles sitting in traffic - one guy had water stacked on a dolly distributing water between lanes of traffic sitting in heat.

I believe AZ has NO solution to our new problem.

I think we have a raffle of ideas & nothing in place.

Patsy

Post by **LarsMac** » Sun Aug 18, 2019 4:09 am

Patsy Warnick;1524463 wrote: Cars

Now that's a good idea - but that's expecting the wrong way driver to read and that driver didn't read the other warning signs... But, it could alert them?

We had another wrong way driver yesterday morning - as everyone was trying to leave for a weekend - they sat in traffic for hours in our heat of 115 degrees. At this incident authorities were handing our water to vehicles sitting in traffic - one guy had water stacked on a dolly distributing water between lanes of traffic sitting in heat.

I believe AZ has NO solution to our new problem.

I think we have a raffle of ideas & nothing in place.

Patsy

I suspect that not all your traffic interruptions are caused by wrong-way drivers.

However, it is strange the high percentage that seem to be happening in your area. It seems to be a problem all over. Just last we my cousin in Atlanta experienced a near-miss with one coming down a ramp on the expressway.

cars · Post by **cars** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 4:41 am

LarsMac;1524468 wrote: I suspect that not all your traffic interruptions are caused by wrong-way drivers.

However, it is strange the high percentage that seem to be happening in your area. It seems to be a problem all over. Just last we my cousin in Atlanta experienced a near-miss with one coming down a ramp on the expressway.

Ramp exits, and or Ramp entrances, that's another good place to Paint say a 8 foot high White or Yellow Arrow facing out, for exits at the very end of the exit, and or facing in for entrances. Driving over a big arrow in the wrong direction likely may catch the driver's attention.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:30 pm

Lars

not all our accidents are wrong way drivers - our news seems to be covering wrong ways & keeping stats. Where a couple of years ago we never heard a report on wrong ways - the news covered toddler drowning's which is another epidemic here.

it seems the remedy might be spike strips as everyone's campaigning for.

Cars

another good idea - every wrong way driver has been impaired..

Thank you for the suggestions

Patsy