Fatal wrong-way crashes on the rise in the U.S., AAA reports

TPD officer sacrificed life to save others from wrong-way driver

Within a matter of moments, the life of a Tampa police officer – a 16-year veteran of the force and U.S. Marine Corps veteran – was cut short in a wrong-way crash, and investigators believe he purposely veered into the oncoming vehicle to save others.

TAMPA, Fla. - When it comes to wrong-way crashes, AAA is reporting a growing trend in the U.S.

According to their study, the average number of fatal wrong-way crashes has risen over the past decade. New research shows 2,008 people have died in crashes on divided highways between 2015 and 2018. That’s about 500 deaths each year.

The figures are up from the previous research period, which reported nearly 1,900 deaths between 2010 and 2014.

In Florida, 135 people were killed between 2015 and 2018, which was an average of 34 per year. The figure is down just by one from the previous research period.

"Wrong-way crashes on divided highways are often fatal as they are typically head-on collisions," said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman, in a statement. "My wife and I were traveling with our 1-year-old son, when we were nearly struck by a wrong-way driver. We know how fortunate we were to get out of the way; but sadly, many of the fatalities in this report represent innocent people who were not so lucky."

In early March, a Tampa police officer was killed in a wrong-way crash along Interstate 275. The wrong-way driver also died.

The data showed about half of the recorded deaths were the wrong-way drivers themselves, roughly 52.8%. A small percentage were their passengers – 5.7% -- and four out of ten – 41.1% -- were occupants of other vehicles.

Researchers said three factors played a role in most of the wrong-way crashes: alcohol impairment, older age, and driving without a passenger.

According to AAA, six out of ten wrong-way crashes involved an impaired driver. The data also showed that drivers over the age of 70 were more at risk of driving in the wrong direction for several reasons including fatigue, compromised vision, or confusion.

AAA said driving with a passenger could provide some protection as nearly 87% of wrong-way drivers were alone when a crash occurred. Passengers could alert drivers if they are entering the wrong direction or a one-way road. 

AAA offered the following tips if you encounter a wrong-way driver:

• Slow down
• Move as far to the right as possible
• Avoid overly aggressive evasive reactions that may cause you to lose control of the vehicle
• Honk your horn, flash your headlights, and turn on your hazard lights
• Pull over as soon as possible and call 911 to report the situation
• When driving at night on a multi-lane highway, travel in the center lane so you can move to the right or left to avoid a wrong-way driver