Daily Herald opinion: Solution to wrong-way drivers linked to other issues, but awareness can help
It is particularly frustrating to encounter a growing societal problem and learn there are almost no constructive responses to address it. Yet, that is where we find ourselves with the matter of wrong-way crashes on our highways.
In her weekly "In Transit" column, Marni Pyke offered the grim statistics from 2021, the most recent year available: 2,247 wrong-way crashes in Illinois, a 13% increase from 2020, with 1,406 people hurt and 91 killed.
As for the cause and potential remedies, the statistics are similarly unnerving. Six in 10 wrong-way crashes involve drunken drivers. Nearly one in 10 of them had convictions within the previous three years for driving under the influence of alcohol.
It is clear that problem of wrong-way crashes is a subset of the problem of driving while intoxicated. So, to that end, it is important to encourage and support law enforcement efforts to reduce drunken driving.
On that point, the AAA Foundation and National Transportation Safety Board, citing a 2012 Special Investigation Report urge specific measures such as ignition blocks against drunken driving. The report also suggests better signage and pavement markings to alert drivers to problems. Some states have experimented with technologies that use lights to alert drivers when they attempt to enter an expressway using the wrong ramp.
It's worth noting that that report is more than 10 years old, and many of its recommendations are still waiting to be implemented.
It's also important to emphasize the need for public awareness of the wrong-way problem. More than 2,000 crashes in a single state in a single year is an alarming statistic, made even more disturbing when we consider that the surprising, high-speed nature of these collisions increases the likelihood they will result in serious injury or death.
Experts do, at least, have at least some useful advice. Pyke quotes a spokeswoman for AAA on what to do if you see a wrong-way driver coming toward you - "Cautiously move to the right shoulder. Avoid slamming on the brakes, and call 911." - or if you find yourself going the wrong way on a ramp or interstate highway - "Pull to the right and stop. Then, try to turn around safely - if that's a possibility. If you cannot turn around, call the police and ask for help."
It may be that solving the problem of wrong-way crashes is inextricably linked to the solution of the larger problem of drunken driving, but in the meantime we must not forget that it is a problem, and do what we can strategically and statutorily to protect ourselves and the safety of our roadways.