Wrong Way Accidents
We’ve all been driving down the freeway when we see the shocking site of a totaled automobile facing the wrong way. Often, the driver has somehow managed to drive the wrong way down the highway, ending his drive by crashing into another vehicle, a pole, or other large object. Wrong way auto accidents occur when a vehicle enters the travel lane of oncoming traffic, typically resulting in a head-on or offset front end collision. With the two automobiles heading toward each another, and the combined approach speed of the vehicles, there is usually little or no time for the drivers to react in time to brake or avoid the collision.
While not as common as fender benders and drunk driving accidents, wrong way accidents are far and away the type of highway crash most likely to cause serious injury and death. In fact, the California Department of Transportation has found that wrong-way accidents caused 12 times the number of deaths compared with all other accidents on highways with controlled access, perhaps because they often involve more than one vehicle.
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