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Part 1 of 20 - Wrong-way Interstate Collisions, Don't blink a car is ready to hit you head-on

By Steve Lombardi

This week I want to cover wrong-way collisions. I've collected as many news items on wrong-way collisions as were available during the last 3 or 4 months. My intent was to report on all for a six-month period, but in going through them I wrote up only July's since there so many to handle and the theme simply keeps repeating itself. This week I'll start off with reporting on actual wrong-way collisions or near collisions and then will end the week with what I see as the causes, what to do to avoid a wrong-way collisions and some suggestions as to where this all needs to go to assist law enforcement and the state DOT's to reduce the number of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way collisions are frightening to think about simply because there are so many deaths associate with being involved in one. Also, considering you have two vehicles, or more, traveling in opposite directions towards each other at 70 M.P.H. the forces generated on impact are tremendous and almost certain death. But we do have to examine them and educate ourselves about how to recognize and to avoid this near-certain death car-truck-motorcycle-SUV-van crash.

So come join us on the InjuryBoard, the Des Moines market for a week of wrong-way collisions.

Wrong-way Collisions Blog – Brooks Schuelke, Wrong Way Wrecks Are Still A Problem – This recent post is a good starting point because it refers back to other posts on this subject, listing 6 posts for you to review.

Dallas, Texas – July 2009 – Fault & Prevention Discussion - The Transportation Blog by reporter Michael Lindenberger suggests lowering the signs for those going the wrong way. He says with wrong-way drivers it's all about drunk drivers. I don't agree with him.

Providence, Rhode Island – July 2009 – Inner City - No Injury – Age of driver unknown - The Providence Journal has Wrong-way driver abandons junker at Waterplace Park; reporting a joy ride was driven the wrong-way inside a pedestrian tunnel. No one killed or injured. Here is a description of the route the car thief took for his joy ride the wrong-way:

At the wheel of a clunker at 2 a.m., a motorist sped the car up over the curb outside the tony condo building and drove through the short pedestrian tunnel under the building, then plunged down two flights of stairs to the railing around Waterplace Park, police Lt. Michael J. Figueiredo said. With nowhere to go but into the water, the driver banked a sharp left, drove over the pedestrian walkway over the river and tried, without success, to take a right onto the handicapped ramp at the Memorial Boulevard end.

So, the motorist backed up, parked outside the condo building's plate-glass windows, and ran off -- leaving behind a puzzle: How to get the battered Nissan back out.

Vancouver - Canada – July 2009 - Hwy 99 – Elderly female – 85-year-old – death and serious injuries - southbound in northbound lanes of Highway 99 – 5:38 PM - Two collisions, the first was one car attempting to avoid colliding with the wrong-way driver and the second was a head-on crash with the wrong-way driver. Driver going wrong way on Highway 99 dies + Confused 85-year-old dies after causing two accidents driving the wrong way on Highway 99

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znr8tByoCNc

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on August 03, 2009 (boomark / email).