Whenever you see a story about a wrong-way accident, you may find yourself feeling very surprised and confused. It probably took place on an interstate, which means that the driver who was going the wrong direction had ample signs informing them of their mistake. In all of the times that you have driven on the interstate, you may never have seen another car going the wrong direction, so it’s clear that this is not difficult for drivers to accomplish.
When someone makes such a critical error, however, they put everyone else in significant danger. Head-on crashes are some of the most dangerous accidents that can occur, especially when they happen at such high speeds. But how is it possible for a driver to make this mistake and put themselves in this position in the first place?
Most accidents involve impairment
What you find is that most of these wrong-way accidents are spurred by impairment. Some drivers are impaired by illegal drugs. Others are impaired by prescription medications. The majority of them are impaired by alcohol. But no matter what form this impairment takes, that’s what causes them to accidentally drive the wrong direction and cause such a serious crash.
This makes it a very difficult topic. When you look at other types of accidents, there are usually solutions that can put an end to them. But most of the solutions on the interstate are already in use. There are separate ramps for exiting and entering. There is a median between the lanes. There are signs at the bottom of every offramp telling people not to enter it. There are also numerous signs on the highway itself telling drivers if they’re heading in the wrong direction.
But if the driver is impaired, you can’t change the road designed to prevent the accident. What you have to do is find a way to prevent the impairment in the first place. And, since that is already illegal, it’s clear that this is going to continue to be a risk as people continue to make the same mistakes.
As such, if you suffer serious injuries or lose a loved one in a drunk driving accident or a wrong-way accident, you need to know how to seek financial compensation.