In a development traffic safety experts are still trying to understand, the number of wrong-way accidents in Connecticut for the first five months of 2022 was the highest in the last four years.
As of June, there had been a total of seven wrong-way crashes resulting in 17 deaths.
Eight people were killed in this type of crash in each of the prior two years.
Wrong-way crashes typically happen at night and involve intoxicated drivers, though confused elderly drivers cause some as well. Most of these accidents occur between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am.
Can anything be done to reduce the number of these crashes?
The state's Department of Transportation hopes new signage and a warning system at critical locations, to be installed by 2024, will help. The warning systems being installed use cameras to detect when a driver is entering an access ramp in the wrong direction and will trigger flashing lights as a warning.
What should a driver do if they see a wrong-way driver?
State police suggest calling 911 and reporting your location as soon as it's safe. If a driver discovers they have entered a highway going the wrong way, they should immediately pull into the breakdown lane and wait to change their direction safely.
Another tip… National Transportation Safety Board reports that seven out of nine wrong-way crashes happen in the left lane. That occurs because wrong-way drivers actually think the left lane is the correct lane for them. To be safe, stay in the right lane, particularly at night.
If you're ever injured in a wrong-way car accident, know that the Connecticut car accident lawyers at RisCassi and Davis have been assisting drivers injured in accidents for more than 65 years. And we have received both state and national recognition for our work in this area. If you are ever in a car accident of any kind and would like a free consultation with one of our Connecticut car accident lawyers, please contact us. There is no obligation.