I frequently write about the various offenses for which a traffic ticket can be issued and the consequences that follow. I do this because I want to help as many people as I can who receive traffic tickets receive a fair outcome. I take that responsibility very seriously; after all, this is my job. However, I would also like to educate other Florida drivers on various issues I come across, whether it be new traffic laws, changes in DUI and drug laws, or the causes and effects of driving behaviors.
There are countless driving behaviors that result in traffic accidents. Most of these accidents do not end in injury to the occupants of the vehicles involved. Unfortunately, a large number of these accidents result in injuries and deaths each year. We hear or read about them almost daily. All accidents are investigated by various law enforcement agencies, especially when there is a fatality. Oftentimes, accidents that result in a fatality are attributed to speeding, driving under the influence, or reckless driving.
There is, however, one type of accident that we don’t hear about very often, and those are accidents that occur as a result of driving the wrong way on a highway. A 2012 National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) report defines wrong-way driving as “…vehicular movement along a lane of travel in a direction opposite to the legal flow of traffic on high-speed divided highways.” speed or access ramps”.
The reason we don’t hear about this type of car accident as often as others is because, frankly, they don’t happen as often as some of these other types of accidents. Although that is statistically true, they only account for 3% of accidents, they are of particular concern because the fatality rate in wrong-way accidents is tremendously higher than that found in other types of accidents. It is hard to say for sure why these types of accidents are so much more deadly than many other types, but it is surely due to the fact that they are almost exclusively head-on or near-head-on collisions.
There is also much conjecture about the actual causes of the wrong-way accidents. One area of concern is construction sites. No matter what work is being done on the roads, it’s all too easy to find changing traffic patterns confusing. I know there have been times when I haven’t been sure of the right path to take until I approach the construction site. Changing traffic patterns can be confusing enough, but when traffic is diverted in a completely different direction and the correct path to take is unclear, it can be very confusing AND dangerous.
Another problem that can cause these horrible accidents is that the access ramps are sometimes poorly marked. When this is combined with some of the strange access exchanges I’ve seen, it should come as no surprise that an errant driver thinks he knows the direction he’s traveling only to have it end in tragedy. Add other factors into the mix, such as poor lighting, having to go under bridges to get to the correct ramp, and signs that aren’t always obvious, and you end up with a recipe for disaster.
Research on these types of crashes indicates that alcohol and/or drugs also figure prominently in wrong-way crashes. In a report published by the National Traffic Safety Board in 2012, their data showed that roughly 60% of those responsible for wrong-way crashes were impaired by alcohol or drugs, and between half and three-quarters of they were caused by people having blood alcohol content. of.08 or higher.
The drugs involved do not necessarily mean illicit drugs, but they can be prescribed for various diseases. Even when medications are taken correctly, reactions can often vary in individuals. There is also the consideration of how taking multiple medications affects the drivers, however there is little to no real data that can predict how an individual’s body may react to the combination of medications.
The 2012 report is not the first study the NTSB has conducted. In fact, they have been researching the causes and effects of wrong-way accidents since 1968. In the most recent study, they collected their data by analyzing data from 9 accidents that occurred in various states. Probably the most telling piece of information the report revealed was the small number of wrong-way crashes that occur, but the large number of fatalities they account for.
Due to the seriousness of these accidents, the State of Florida is working to devise a system to try to prevent these tragedies. A pilot program is currently underway at 15 locations, including the Homestead Extension of the Turnpike and Sawgrass Expressway, that involves adding flashing lights to let drivers know they’re about to head in the wrong direction. This is the first phase of what many hope will incorporate a 2 phase process. The second consideration is to install several pop-up posts in the lane that say “wrong way.” This is so the driver will realize that he is traveling in the wrong direction and make corrections before someone is hurt. There has been positive feedback on the program so far, as it has interceded on 10 occasions when vehicles tried to travel in the wrong direction.
Turnpike spokesman Chad Huff said: “I would say the circumstantial evidence is pretty good that the system is having some effect on driving behaviour.”
Although Florida ranks third in the country for deaths attributed to these horrendous accidents, it is not the first state to try to solve this problem. Rhode Island, New York, Virginia, and other states have already addressed this serious problem using similar systems or are considering addressing it by installing some type of alert system. One German car manufacturer has even taken steps to install warning systems on a couple of its car models. Each of these methods is different, but I have yet to see any data evaluating their success or failure rate.
Unfortunately, when I was searching for information for this article, I came across dozens of photos of cars that had been involved in these types of accidents. Some were so hideous they were virtually unrecognizable as vehicles, and there was little doubt that the crash resulted in the death of someone. The best hope of reducing this problem is by installing some sort of warning system that can be done inexpensively. Central Florida will install a system at five different locations at a cost of just $300,000. That cost is certainly a bargain when you consider the number of lives it can save.
As a traffic ticket attorney, my focus is trying to help drivers who receive traffic tickets, but I would also like to help keep drivers safe. I hope the information in this article will help at least one reader to avoid making this deadly mistake. However, if you have received a traffic ticket for any reason, please call me at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation. Our decades of experience can help reduce or completely eliminate your traffic ticket.
