In theory, you should never see a wrong-way driver. On urban streets, one-way streets are clearly marked with signs indicating which way someone should go. On the interstate, there are wrong-way signs all over the on-ramps and off-ramps to ensure that the driver doesn’t mistakenly take an off-ramp and drive up onto the wrong traffic lanes.
However, you do still see wrong-way drivers from time to time. It could just be a case of confusion. Maybe someone from a rural area isn’t used to driving in a city, and they’ve never experienced one-way roads before, so they inadvertently turned the wrong direction. Or maybe a young driver is just confused because they’re inexperienced. An elderly driver, meanwhile, could become confused due to cognitive decline.
The role of alcohol
But the examples listed above are in the minority. In most cases, especially on the interstate, alcohol is the root cause. In recent years, researchers have seen an increase in wrong-way driving accidents, and their investigations have determined that most of these drivers were drunk or at least consumed some alcohol prior to making such a critical error.
This is why road designs and signage are not always enough to prevent these accidents. Someone who is intoxicated may not even realize that they’re using the wrong ramp to enter the interstate. They won’t see the wrong-way signs. If they’re intoxicated enough, they could black out behind the wheel so that they don’t even remember driving at all. Their impairment causes them to commit critical mistakes that a sober driver would never make.
Wrong-way accidents can lead to devastating injuries, so be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.