According to the The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), between 300-400 people die every year in the United States from wrong-way driving accidents. This week at the its 44th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, host organization American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) announced the publication of “Emerging Safety Countermeasures for Wrong-Way Driving,” in partnership with Federal Highway Administration and other organizations.
While a number of factors contribute to these incidents, improved signage, pavement markings, and other roadway safety devices can help to prevent them. The most common circumstances arise when a driver enters a freeway from an exit ramp and then drives the wrong way.
When choosing signs to be placed in these areas, follow these tips:
- Choose large Do Not Enter signs in High Intensity Reflective Aluminum
- Pair Do Not Enter signs with Wrong Way signs
- Use Brightside Reflective Panels in red for additional visibility
- Place No Left Turn or No Right Turn prohibition signs where appropriate
Consult MUTCD standards for more detailed information.
For a deep dive into wrong-way driving, take a look at The National Transportation Safety Board’s 77-page special investigative report called Wrong-Way Driving available in pdf format.
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