Car Accidents Caused by Wrong-Way Drivers

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Car Accidents Caused by Wrong-Way Drivers

I’m Ed Smith, a Davis car accident attorney. Wrong-way car accidents are becoming a common reality throughout the state of California. Despite statewide efforts towards reducing this type of automobile accident with well placed street signs and blinking lights, it still continues to occur along the California roadways.

What is a Wrong-Way Auto Accident?

A wrong-way car accident is when a motorist drives along a road way in the opposite direction against the flow of traffic. Unfortunately, this results in a wrong-way driver crashing into an innocent driver traveling in an oncoming vehicle.

What Causes Wrong-Way Car Accidents

The following list indicates the common causes of wrong-way car accidents:

  1. Drivers that operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol are most likely to disobey one-way street signs or traffic control devices.
  2. Distracted driving has also been linked to wrong-way car accidents. Researchers have determined that the use of mobile devices while driving has been linked to higher rates of wrong-way car crashes when drivers are not aware of their surroundings or street signs and end up turning into oncoming traffic.
  3. A lack of signs or control devices along a roadway may contribute to wrong-way car accidents. This oftentimes occurs in construction zones when there is not sufficient warning to stop a driver from entering a roadway from the opposite direction.
  4. Many drivers may not be familiar with the roadways of a certain area. This scenario tends to play out when motorists conduct a wrong turn and drive into the path of oncoming traffic.

Watch YouTube Video – By: TomoNews US – Sacramento Fatal Car Accident

The following video discusses about a previous head-on collision that took place along Highway 50 in Sacramento. The video demonstrates through a virtual animation of how the wrong-way automobile accident occurred.

Common Wrong-Way Car Accident Scenarios

The most common instance when wrong-way driving occurs is when a driver uses the wrong entrance ramp for the freeway. A driver that enters the freeway from the wrong entrance can cause an automobile accident by driving into oncoming vehicles that are exiting the freeway.

Another scenario that can cause wrong-way car accident is when a motorist enters a one-way street traveling in the wrong direction. This tends to happen more often in urban areas such as metropolitan roadways and downtown streets. These locations have designed their streets with traffic flowing in one direction rather than two.

Wrong-way car accidents are also caused by motorists driving on the wrong side of the highway or roadway. This type of situation takes place commonly along two-lane roads when a driver overtakes a slower moving vehicle while a vehicle is approaching in the opposite lane of travel.

Injuries from Wrong-Way Car Accidents

The types of injuries sustained from wrong-way auto accidents are endless. Unfortunately, wrong-way car accidents tend to cause traumatic, catastrophic or even fatal injuries to victims.

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Davis Car Accident Attorney

I’m Ed Smith, a Davis car accident attorney. If you, or a loved one has been severely injured due to a vehicular collision, please give me a call anytime at (530) 392-9400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.

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Photograph Credit: By Vernon Chan via Wikimedia Commons

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