STATE-OF-THE-ART OF WRONG WAY DRIVING ON FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS

A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW OF WRONG-WAY DRIVING ON FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS IS PRESENTED. FROM THE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN: (1) ROADWAY AND RAMP GEOMETRY PARTICULARLY INFLUENCE THE RATE OF WRONG-WAY INCIDENTS, THE MOST FREQUENT MANEUVER APPEARING TO BE ENTRANCE TO THE FREEWAY VIA AN EXIT RAMP. (2) TWO-WAY FRONTAGE ROADS TEND TO MISLEAD MOTORISTS AND INDUCE WRONG-WAY ENTRY TO THE FREEWAY VIA AN EXIT RAMP. (3) INADEQUATE SIGHT DISTANCE ON THE MAIN LANES OF THE FREEWAY MAY NOT ALWAYS ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME FOR A RIGHT-WAY DRIVER TO REACT TO AVOID COLLISION WITH A WRONG-WAY DRIVER (4) ON EXPRESSWAYS, THE MAIN CAUSE OF WRONG-WAY MANEUVERS IS THAT THE MOTORIST ENTERS AN OPPOSING LANE OF TRAFFIC THROUGH A MEDIAN OPENING AT AN INTERSECTION. (5) IN CALIFORNIA, 80% OF FATAL WRONG-WAY ACCIDENTS INVOLVED A DRINKING DRIVER. (6) SOME DRIVERS INTENTIONALLY MAKE A WRONG-WAY MANEUVER TO EXPEDITE THEIR JOURNEY. (7) A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WRONG-WAY MANEUVERS ARE MADE DURING DARKNESS OR REDUCED VISIBILITY. (8) PAVEMENT MARKINGS TO SUPPLEMENT SIGNS APPEAR TO BE AN EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE MEASURE, ESPECIALLY AT TIMES WHEN SIGNS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ. (9) NO TESTS HAVE YET BEEN MADE OF THE FREQUENTLY MADE PROPOSAL FOR DIVERGENT ROADWAYS ON EXIT RAMPS TO REDIRECT WRONG-WAY DRIVERS. (10) VEHICLE-ACTUATED WARNING DEVICES, INCLUDING BOTH AUDIO AND VISUAL MECHANISMS, APPEAR TO HAVE A STRONG SENSORY EFFECT. (11) SPIKE BARRIERS DESIGNED TO DISABLE A WRONG-WAY VEHICLE ARE APPARENTLY NOT EFFECTIVE.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Rpt No 139-7, 34 PP, 5 FIG, 5 TAB, 20 REF
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011
• Authors:
  • Friebele, J D
  • Messer, C J
  • Dudek, C L
• Publication Date: 1971-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Frontage roads; Geometric design; Ramps; Reviews; Sight distance; State of the art studies; Two lane highways; Warning systems; Wrong way driving
• Uncontrolled Terms: Two way traffic
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226131
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 23 1972 12:00AM