Among the most dangerous accidents in the world are wrong-way crashes on the interstate. Despite their high speeds, interstates are generally safer than any other roads because traffic is controlled and all moving in the same direction. A wrong-way driver not only eliminates this safety feature, but they risk causing a head-on crash at the highest collective speeds most people ever experience.
Many of these accidents are caused by alcohol, but not all. This can make them unpredictable and hard to avoid. Still, there are a few things you should know that can help keep you safe.
Tips to help avoid a devastating crash
To avoid getting hit by a wrong-way driver, who may or may not be impaired, use these tips:
- When possible, always drive in the right-most lane. A wrong-way driver will probably be on the left (their own right), so you may avoid them if you’re not in the passing lane.
- Drive with your lights on all the time. If you see a car coming toward you, flash your lights and honk your horn. An intoxicated driver may simply not realize what they’ve done, and you can get their attention before a crash.
- Focus on slowing down. Even if you can’t avoid getting hit, your odds of severe injury are lower at lower speeds.
- If you can swerve off of the road, drive down onto the shoulder. Do not swerve left, though, which could bring you into more oncoming traffic lanes.
- Be wary of braking too fast. If there are cars close behind, you may get rear-ended. Ideally, just know what traffic is like around you at all times so that you can react properly.
As you can see, these tips are far from a sure thing. They can help, but encountering a wrong-way driver is so unexpected and problematic that you may not have any way to avoid that crash. You could still get hit and injured, along with others in your car.
These injuries can be life-changing. Make sure you know how to seek compensation from the driver responsible for the crash.
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