Wrong-Way Driving Special Investigative Report
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Wrong-Way Driving Special Investigation Report NTSB/SIR-12/01 National PB2012-917003 Transportation Safety Board NTSB/SIR-12/01 PB2012-917003 Notation 8453 Adopted December 11, 2012 Highway Special Investigation Report Wrong-Way Driving National Transportation Safety Board 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 National Transportation Safety Board. 2012. Wrong-Way Driving. Highway Special Investigation Report NTSB/SIR-12/01. Washington, DC. Abstract: This special investigation report looks at one of the most serious types of highway accidents—collisions involving vehicles traveling the wrong way on high-speed divided highways. The goal of this investigative project is to identify relevant safety recommendations to prevent wrong-way collisions on such highways and access ramps. The investigations included in the report take a focused view of the driver and highway issues affecting wrong-way collisions. The report addresses the following safety issues concerning wrong-way driving: driver impairment, primarily from alcohol use, with consideration of older driver issues and possible drug involvement; the need to establish, through traffic control devices and highway design, distinctly different views for motorists approaching entrance and exit ramps; monitoring and intervention programs for wrong-way collisions; and in-vehicle driver support systems. The report contains safety recommendations issued to the Federal Highway Administration; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, Inc.; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Sheriffs’ Association; SAE International; the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers; Global Automakers; and the Consumer Electronics Association. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent federal agency dedicated to promoting aviation, railroad, highway, marine, and pipeline safety. Established in 1967, the agency is mandated by Congress through the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to investigate transportation accidents, determine the probable causes of the accidents, issue safety recommendations, study transportation safety issues, and evaluate the safety effectiveness of government agencies involved in transportation. The NTSB makes public its actions and decisions through accident reports, safety studies, special investigation reports, safety recommendations, and statistical reviews. Recent publications are available in their entirety on the Internet at http://www.ntsb.gov. Other information about available publications also may be obtained from the website or by contacting: National Transportation Safety Board Records Management Division, CIO-40 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 (800) 877-6799 or (202) 314-6551 Copies of NTSB publications may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service. To purchase this publication, order product number PB2012-917003 from: National Technical Information Service 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 (800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000 http://www.ntis.gov/ The Independent Safety Board Act, as codified at 49 U.S.C. Section 1154(b), precludes the admission into evidence or use of NTSB reports related to an incident or accident in a civil action for damages resulting from a matter mentioned in the report. NOTE: This report was reissued on February 8, 2013, with corrections to pages 38 and 39. NTSB Highway Special Investigation Report Contents Figures ........................................................................................................................................... iii Tables ..............................................................................................................................................v Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... vi Introduction ................................................................................................................................. vii 1. Wrong-Way Collisions ..............................................................................................................1 1.1 Definition of Wrong-Way Driving ............................................................................................1 1.2 Severity of Wrong-Way Collisions ............................................................................................1 1.3 History of Efforts Concerning Wrong-Way Collisions .............................................................2 1.3.1 NTSB Investigations of Wrong-Way Collisions .............................................................2 1.3.2 Federal/State Efforts ........................................................................................................4 1.4 Data Summary ...........................................................................................................................6 1.4.1 Fatality Analysis Reporting System Data ........................................................................6 1.4.2 Data Limitations ............................................................................................................11 2. NTSB Investigations ................................................................................................................12 2.1 Baker, California ......................................................................................................................14 2.2 Dulles, Virginia ........................................................................................................................15 2.3 Carrollton, Kentucky................................................................................................................16 2.4 Arlington, Texas ......................................................................................................................17 2.5 Dallas, Texas ............................................................................................................................19 2.6 Fountain, Colorado ..................................................................................................................22 2.7 Beloit, Wisconsin .....................................................................................................................23 2.8 Carlisle, Pennsylvania ..............................................................................................................26 2.9 Fernley, Nevada .......................................................................................................................28 3. Characterization of Wrong-Way Driving ..............................................................................30 4. Countermeasures .....................................................................................................................32 4.1 Driver .......................................................................................................................................32 4.1.1 Alcohol Impairment .......................................................................................................32 4.1.2 Older Drivers .................................................................................................................37 4.1.3 Drug Impairment ...........................................................................................................39 4.2 Highways .................................................................................................................................41 4.2.1 Signage and Pavement Markings...................................................................................41 4.2.2 Interchange and Ramp Designs .....................................................................................47 i NTSB Highway Special Investigation Report 4.2.3 Wrong-Way Monitoring Programs ................................................................................50 4.2.4 Law Enforcement Intervention Practices .......................................................................51 4.3 Wrong-Way Navigation Alerts on Vehicles ............................................................................52 5. Conclusions ...............................................................................................................................55 5.1 Findings....................................................................................................................................55 6. Recommendations ....................................................................................................................57 7. Appendix: Diagrams of Situations Preceding Eight Wrong-Way Collisions Investigated by the NTSB..................................................................................................................................60 ii NTSB Highway Special Investigation Report Figures Figure 1. Postaccident view of the vehicles from the Fountain, Colorado, wrong-way collision ............................................................................................................................................2 Figure 2. FARS data indicating drivers involved in fatal wrong-way collisions on divided highways who showed indications of alcohol use; comparison between wrong-way and right-way driver drinking data (2004–2009) ....................................................................................8