Wrong-way crashes on the rise, data says

COLUMBUS — Fatal wrong-way driving crashes are rare, but a new data analysis from the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety finds they are happening more frequently, a press release from AAA Ohio said. Researchers also found the odds of being a wrong-way driver increases with alcohol-impairment, older age and driving without a passenger, according to the release. "Wrong-way crashes on divided highways are often fatal, as they are typically head-on collisions," Dr. David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, was quoted as saying in the release. "And unfortunately, as the data shows, fatalities from these crashes are on the rise." AAA Foundation researchers examined the number of fatal wrong-way crashes and the number of people killed using data from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the release said. They found: * Between 2010 and 2014, an average of 375 people died every year from wrong-way crashes on divided highways in the U.S.* That number jumped 34 percent between 2015 and 2018, when an average of 500 people died each year from these wrong-way crashes. Ohio Department of Transportation data shows wrong-way crashes and fatalities are also increasing on Ohio's roads, the release said, noting that: * Between 2010 and 2014, a total of 268 wrong-way crashes occurred on Ohio's divided highways, resulting in 124 fatalities and serious injuries. * Between 2015 and 2018, a total of 297 wrong-way crashes occurred on Ohio's divided highways, resulting in 146 fatalities and serious injuries.* Last year alone, 82 wrong-way crashes occurred on Ohio's divided highways, resulting in 50 fatalities and serious injuries.* While these wrong-way crashes make up less than 0.02% of all crashes in the state of Ohio, they are 40 times more likely to result in deaths. AAA works with the National Transportation Safety Board and other traffic safety organizations to educate drivers on the deadly impact of wrong-way driving, according to the release. In light of these latest research findings, AAA and the NTSB are urging state transportation agencies to adopt driver-based countermeasures that address these factors, the release said. In Ohio, ODOT is working to prevent these wrong-way crashes by: * Placing wrong-way signs lower on the poles, because research has shown that impaired drivers tend to look down instead of up.* Installing directional arrows on the ramp pavement to indicate the traveled direction.* Testing wrong-way driver detection systems. In 2019, ODOT installed the first wrong-way detection system along a 19-mile stretch of I-71 in Hamilton County. It also has detectors on two ramps: I-670 westbound to Neil Ave. in Columbus and westbound Ohio 2 to West 28th St. in Cleveland. These devices have stopped wrong-way drivers. The release said researchers examined eight factors related to these types of crashes, and three stood out — alcohol-impairment, older age and driving without a passenger. The release said the AAA and the NTSB remind drivers to use common sense before getting behind the wheel: * If you are driving, don't drink. If you are drinking, don't drive. If you consume marijuana or alcohol or use potentially impairing prescription medications, then don't drive. * Stay alert. Stop driving if you become sleepy, because you could fall asleep at any time. Fatigue impacts reaction time and judgment, causing people who are very tired to behave in similar ways to those who are drunk.