Most safety advice about wrong-way driving is written for the person who sees one coming. This post is for the other driver: the one who turns onto a ramp, notices something is off, and has a few seconds to work out what is happening.
It can happen to careful people. A confusing interchange at night, a navigation prompt that comes a beat late, an unfamiliar rental car, a detour sign that sends you somewhere you did not expect. The goal is not to never make a navigation mistake. The goal is to catch it early and respond in a way that keeps everyone safe.
Catch it at the ramp
The best place to realize you are going the wrong way is before you reach the freeway.
ADOT's thermal-camera system on I-17 has detected more than 100 wrong-way vehicles since it began operating in 2018, and ADOT reports that most of those drivers turned around on exit ramps or pulled into driveways rather than continuing onto the highway. Catching the error early is common, and it is where the outcome is usually fine.
The road gives a lot of clues at that stage, if you know to look:
- A red sign facing you. "DO NOT ENTER" is a red circle with a white bar. "WRONG WAY" is a red rectangle. Either one facing you means stop.
- Red reflectors on the pavement. On many Arizona off-ramps, arrows on the pavement are paired with reflectors that glow red to a wrong-way driver.
- Arrows pointing at you. Pavement arrows show the correct direction of travel.
- The backs of signs. If you see blank metal sign backs instead of sign faces, you are facing the wrong direction.
- A sign suddenly flashing. Some ramps have detection systems that light up a warning sign when they sense a wrong-way vehicle.
If any of those appear, trust them over your navigation app and over your own sense of where you meant to go.
If you are still on the ramp
Stop. Pull as far to the edge as you safely can and put on your hazard lights.
Do not keep going to "find a place to turn around" on the freeway. Every second of forward travel takes you closer to traffic moving at highway speed.
If the ramp behind you is completely clear and you can see that it stays clear, backing slowly to the bottom may be possible. If you are not sure, stay where you are, keep your headlights and hazards on, and call 911. Dispatchers would much rather send someone to help you turn around than respond to a crash.
If you are already on the highway
This is the more dangerous situation, and the actions are simple:
Do not make a U-turn. Turning across lanes at highway speed puts your vehicle broadside to oncoming traffic.
Get to the nearest edge and stop. Pull off the traveled lanes as far as you can, onto the shoulder if there is one.
Make yourself visible. Hazard lights on, headlights on.
Stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt fastened. Standing beside a highway is dangerous in any situation, and especially in this one.
Call 911. Tell the dispatcher you are facing the wrong direction, where you are, and which direction you are pointed. Let law enforcement manage traffic and get you turned around.
It will feel embarrassing. That feeling is not important. Calling for help is the responsible thing to do.
Why people do not stop
Drivers who realize they are going the wrong way sometimes keep going because they hope it will resolve on its own, because they are worried about getting in trouble, or because stopping on a highway feels wrong.
All of those are understandable, and all of them make things worse. A vehicle stopped at the edge with its hazard lights on is something other drivers can see and avoid. A vehicle moving toward traffic is not.
We are not in a position to advise anyone on legal questions. What we can say is that from a safety standpoint, stopping and calling 911 is the right move every time.
Lowering the odds in the first place
- Preview unfamiliar interchanges on a map before you drive them, especially at night.
- Slow down at ramps you do not know.
- Read the signs rather than following the car ahead.
- Do not drive tired, impaired, or rushed. ADOT reports that two out of three wrong-way crashes are caused by impaired drivers, and fatigue reduces the attention needed to notice warning signs.
Pass it on
Most people have never thought about what they would do in this situation, which is exactly why it is worth thinking about once. Share this with the drivers in your life, especially new drivers and anyone who drives often at night in unfamiliar places.
NMWWD is a Phoenix-based nonprofit focused on preventing wrong-way crashes. If this was useful, consider getting involved or supporting our work.
Sources: Arizona Department of Transportation — I-17 thermal-camera system · Arizona Department of Transportation — Wrong-Way Drivers