An evaluation of the results of a two-year survey of incidents of wrong-way driving on Virginia highways revealed that the majority of them originated at diamond type interchanges. On-site investigations of a number of the interchanges at which instances of wrong-way driving had been noted suggested several improvements. The report discusses measures for preventing wrong-way entries at interchanges and presents case studies of four of the interchanges visited. Some of the recommendations are given below: (1) Channelize the left lane of the exit ramp and remove the left end flare, preferably by providing a corner barrier. The corner barrier will prevent the use of shoulders for a wrong-way turn. (2) Properly locate signs based on the size of letters or symbols in the message and the cone of vision. (3) Provide intersection geometry information to the drivers entering a four-lane divided highway in the form of an information geometry sign. (4) As an aid to mentally impaired drivers, provide supplemental signs with pavement markings and spotlighting to make entry ramps conspicuous and exit ramps inconspicuous. Specific techniques like the provision of double yellow lines without full openings, continuation of pavement edge lines across exit ramps, and bringing stop lines closer to pavement edge lines seem to pay off and are recommended for further evaluation.
Over a four-year period beginning in 1970, wrong-way incidents and accidents on Virginia's interstate highways were reduced by 50% and those on non-in...
Preliminary data on the use of the divided highway crossing sign indicated it to be effective in reducing wrong-way entries, and additional experiment...
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving a Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS)/National Transportation Library (NTL)
Web-based service.
Thank you for visiting.
You are about to access a non-government link outside of
the U.S. Department of Transportation's National
Transportation Library.
Please note: While links to Web sites outside of DOT are
offered for your convenience, when you exit DOT Web sites,
Federal privacy policy and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act (accessibility requirements) no longer apply. In
addition, DOT does not attest to the accuracy, relevance,
timeliness or completeness of information provided by linked
sites. Linking to a Web site does not constitute an
endorsement by DOT of the sponsors of the site or the
products presented on the site. For more information, please
view DOT's Web site linking policy.
To get back to the page you were previously viewing, click
your Cancel button.
United States Department of Transportation
[PDF-1.99 MB]
