I have a confession to make. My first day driving in Atlanta, I was a wrong-way driver. Fresh out of college, I packed all of my worldly belongings into a massive U-Haul truck. I then made the long journey from New York to Atlanta, while towing my Mazda 626 behind the rig.
When I arrived in midtown Atlanta, I wasn’t drunk and I wasn’t tired — I wasn’t impaired in any way. I was just unfamiliar with the roadways. So, by mistake, I turned the wrong way down one-way Spring Street. It was early on a Saturday morning and luckily there were no other cars on the road. Well, there was one. An Atlanta police cruiser. I was pulled over and the officer informed me of my error. He gave me a warning and sent me on my way, going the proper direction down Spring Street.
I am reminded of this incident because of the rash of deadly wrong-way crashes in the metro area the last few weeks.
Since Aug. 15, there have been four crashes involving wrong-way drivers. They have left five people dead and nine people injured. Each crash seemingly more horrific than the last.
Wrong-way drivers are not a new phenomenon here in Georgia, but the recent violent and deadly wrecks have certainly raised public awareness about their dangers.
Experts agree that most wrong-way drivers are impaired in some way; either my alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription medicines. The question now is, of course, how do we prevent these drivers from causing mayhem?
Faced with similar situations in Houston, Texas, authorities equipped a 14-mile stretch of highway with radar and in-pavement sensors that can alert police when someone is driving the wrong way on the freeway. When a wrong-way driver is detected, large electric signs light up on the expressway alerting commuters that a wrong-way driver might be heading their way and to pull over.
Unfortunately in our cash-strapped state, this might be cost prohibitive. But, obviously, something needs to be done.
I asked the Georgia State Patrol for advice to give drivers to help them prevent being hit by a wrong-way driver. The GSP warns motorists to be alert at all times and to drive defensively. People should also always be aware of their surroundings.
Most importantly, the GSP tells drivers, especially at night, to stay out of the left lanes. Wrong-way drivers that are impaired generally stay in what they think is the far right lane, thinking that it’s the safest. Therefore they are usually driving in the left lane of the road.
Final advice from the Georgia State Patrol? Always remember to leave/provide yourself a way out in the event you are faced with an unforeseen situation.
Unfortunately, as we’ve found out in the last two weeks, it’s not always possible.
About the Author
