This document summarizes a study analyzing wrong-way driving crashes in the US using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System between 2004-2011. Some key findings include: - On average, 269 fatal crashes occurred each year resulting in 358 deaths due to wrong-way driving. - While total traffic fatalities decreased over 4% annually, wrong-way driving fatal crashes only decreased 1.4%. - The top 3 states (California, Texas, and Florida) accounted for nearly 30% of wrong-way crashes and fatalities. - On average, 1.3 people died in each wrong-way driving fatal crash.

1. • North Texas Tollway Authority , Keeping NTTA Roadways Safe: Wrong-Way Driver Task Force Staff Analysis.
NTTA Board of Directors, 2009.
• Kaminski Leduc.J.L. Wrong Way Driving Countermeasures, <http://www.cga.ct.gov> 2008.
• U.S. DOT, NHTSA, and NCSA. Agency Procedures for Release and Security of Research Data Collected Under
The Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), Washington, DC 20590, 2004.
• Federal Highway Administration. Performance and Accountability Report, 2003.
• U.S. DOT, NHTSA, and NCSA. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Washington, D.C. 20590. 2012.
Wrong way driving has been a matter of concern since divided roadways have existed. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) the problem has not been solved despite several decades of highway striping and sign improvements. Little
document can be found on the wrong-way fatal crashes and their characteristics in the U.S. One previous analysis of wrong-way crashes on highways based on the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database in 2008, in the U.S revealed that about 350
fatalities and thousands injuries were reported in crashes caused by wrong-way drivers.
According to the 8-year crash data (2004-2011) from the FARS
database, an average of 269 fatal crashes have occurred and 358
people have been killed each year due to wrong-way driving in the
U.S. To measure the severity of this type of crash, the number of lost
lives per WWD fatal crash was calculated. Analyses showed that four
persons die in every three WWD fatal crashes on average in US.
In this study, wrong-way driving crash data, including crashes and
fatalities on divided highways, one-way traffic ways, and entrance/exit
ramps, were collected and identified using the Fatality Analysis
Reporting System database (FARS). The objective of this study is to
give an overview of wrong-way crashes in the U.S, and identify trend
of wrong-way fatal crash frequency and the distribution of wrong-way
fatal crashes among different states. This study aims to give an
overview of general trend of wrong-way fatal crashes and temporal
and spatial distribution based on the eight-year crash data (2004-
2011) in FARS.
FARS is a nationwide census of fatal traffic crashes provided by
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Crashes
which involve motor vehicles traveling on a public traffic way and
causes the death of driver, occupant or a non-occupant (such as
pedestrians) within 30 days are brought into FARS. Each state
gathers data from various sources, converts them into a common
format and transmits them to NHTSA to complete FARS database.
Overview of Wrong-way Driving Crashes in the U.S
Fatemeh Baratian Ghorghi
baratian@auburn.edu
Ph.D. Students, Department of Civil Engineering
Introduction Distribution of WWD Fatalities WWD Crash Trend
Abstract
The number of fatal crashes
in U.S decreased by
approximately 4% per year,
however, the number of
WWD fatal crashes had a
slightly increase by 0.2%.
1 Texas 38 (14%) 18 North Carolina 5 (2%) 35 Oregon 3 (1%)
2 California 26 (10%) 19 Kansas 5 (2%) 36 Indiana 2 (1%)
3 Florida 16 (6%) 20 New York 5 (2%) 37 Wisconsin 2 (1%)
4 Pennsylvania 11 (4%) 21 Ohio 4 (2%) 38 Idaho 2 (1%)
5 Georgia 11 (4%) 22 South Carolina 4 (2%) 39 Delaware 2 (1%)
6 Missouri 10 (4%) 23 Nevada 4 (1%) 40 Montana 2 (1%)
7 Mississippi 9 (3%) 24 Maryland 4 (1%) 41 Rhode Island 1 (0%)
8 Tennessee 8 (3%) 25 Arkansas 4 (1%) 42 New Mexico 1 (0%)
9 Illinois 8 (3%) 26 Minnesota 4 (1%) 43 Wyoming 1 (0%)
10 Arizona 8 (3%) 27 West Virginia 4 (1%) 44 New Hampshire 1 (0%)
11 Alabama 7 (2%) 28 Colorado 4 (1%) 45 South Dakota 1 (0%)
12 Michigan 6 (2%) 29 Connecticut 4 (1%) 46 Maine 1 (0%)
13 New Jersey 6 (2%) 30 Utah 4 (1%) 47 Vermont 1 (0%)
14 Oklahoma 6 (2%) 31 Iowa 3 (1%) 48 District of Columbia 0 (0%)
15 Washington 6 (2%) 32 Kentucky 3 (1%) 49 North Dakota 0 (0%)
16 Virginia 5 (2%) 33 Massachusetts 3 (1%) 50 Alaska 0 (0%)
17 Louisiana 5 (2%) 34 Hawaii 3 (1%) 51 Nebraska 0 (0%)
Percent of WWD Fatalities Out of Total No. of Fatalities for Each StatePercent of WWD Fatalities Out of Total No. of Fatalities for Each State
WWD Fatalities per Year (2004-2011)WWD Fatalities per Year (2004-2011)
1 Texas 52 (14%) 18 New York 7 (2%) 35 Indiana 3 (1%)
2 California 35 (10%) 19 Virginia 7 (2%) 36 Wisconsin 3 (1%)
3 Florida 24 (7%) 20 Kansas 6 (2%) 37 New Mexico 3 (1%)
4 Georgia 14 (4%) 21 Ohio 6 (2%) 38 Idaho 3 (1%)
5 Pennsylvania 14 (4%) 22 West Virginia 5 (2%) 39 Delaware 2 (1%)
6 Missouri 13 (4%) 23 Arkansas 5 (1%) 40 Montana 2 (0%)
7 Illinois 12 (3%) 24 Colorado 5 (1%) 41 Rhode Island 1 (0%)
8 Tennessee 11 (3%) 25 Nevada 5 (1%) 42 Hawaii 1 (0%)
9 Mississippi 11 (3%) 26 Minnesota 5 (1%) 43 Wyoming 1 (0%)
10 Arizona 11 (3%) 27 South Carolina 5 (1%) 44 Maine 1 (0%)
11 Alabama 9 (2%) 28 Maryland 5 (1%) 45 New Hampshire 1 (0%)
12 Michigan 8 (2%) 29 Massachusetts 5 (1%) 46 South Dakota 1 (0%)
13 Oklahoma 8 (2%) 30 Utah 5 (1%) 47 Vermont 1 (0%)
14 Louisiana 7 (2%) 31 Connecticut 4 (1%) 48 North Dakota 0 (0%)
15 New Jersey 7 (2%) 32 Iowa 4 (1%) 49 Alaska 0 (0%)
16 North Carolina 7 (2%) 33 Kentucky 4 (1%) 50 Nebraska 0 (0%)
17 Washington 7 (2%) 34 Oregon 4 (1%) 51 District of Columbia 0 (0%)
1 Delaware 1.9 19 Tennessee 1.0 36 New Mexico 0.7
2 Rhode Island 1.8 20 Colorado 1.0 37 New Hampshire 0.7
3 Utah 1.7 21 Pennsylvania 1.0 38 Wyoming 0.6
4 Connecticut 1.6 22 California 1.0 39 South Dakota 0.6
5 Nevada 1.6 23 Georgia 0.9 40 Maine 0.5
6 Texas 1.5 - U.S 0.9 41 New York 0.5
7 West Virginia 1.4 24 Iowa 0.9 42 North Carolina 0.5
8 Kansas 1.4 25 Hawaii 0.9 43 South Carolina 0.5
9 Mississippi 1.4 26 Oregon 0.9 44 Ohio 0.5
10 Washington 1.4 27 Alabama 0.8 45 Wisconsin 0.5
11 Missouri 1.3 28 Arkansas 0.8 46 Kentucky 0.4
12 Idaho 1.2 29 Louisiana 0.8 47 Indiana 0.4
13 Massachusetts 1.1 30 Vermont 0.8 48 North Dakota 0.2
14 New Jersey 1.1 31 Michigan 0.8 49 Alaska 0.2
15 Oklahoma 1.1 32 Florida 0.8 50 Nebraska 0.1
16 Illinois 1.1 33 Maryland 0.8
17 Arizona 1.0 34 Virginia 0.8
18 Minnesota 1.0 35 Montana 0.7
Wrong-way Fatal Crashes per Year in Each State (2004-2011)Wrong-way Fatal Crashes per Year in Each State (2004-2011)
The number of traffic
fatalities in US decreased by
over 4%, however, the
number of yearly WWD
fatalities over the 8 year
study period decreased by
only 1.4% especially during
the recent years.
This may be caused by the
improved vehicle safety
features and more effective
and quicker emergency
responses.
The analysis results suggest: (1)The total number of wrong-way driving fatal crash has not decline over the
last eight years while the total number of fatal crashes has a significant decrease at the same period; (2)
Three largest states (California, Texas and Florida) have reported the highest number of wrong-way fatal
crashes and fatalities. However, California and Florida had approximately the same wrong-way fatality rate
as the national average (0.9% traffic fatality caused by wrong-way driving); and (3) The average number of
deaths reported per WWD crash is 1.3.
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Conclusion
References
Distribution of WWD Fatal Crashes
Almost 30 percent of nationwide WWD crashes and WWD fatalities
occur in California, Texas and Florida.
A crash fatality is more likely to be the result of wrong-way driving in
Delaware, Rhoda Island, and Utah as compared with those in other
states.