Wrong way driver epidemic in Phoenix

[dishdude]

We seem to have a major problem here in Phoenix where drivers are getting on the freeway headed the wrong way and causing deadly head on collisions. This is happening on multiple roadways, so it isn't isolated to one freeway or one on/off ramp. Issues range from confused, impaired and distracted drivers, but this is such a regular occurrence that the governor has issued a directive. Has anyone noticed this locally? Just last night two were killed on a freeway I drive on a regular basis.

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/259458740-story

 

[rubberchicken]

There have been a few major fatalities in the D.C / Maryland / Virginia area as well in the last few months. The other thing I noticed is a lot more people that drive with one foot on the gas, the other on the brakes, and constantly activating the brakes while traveling on major highways.

 

[555]

Originally Posted By: rubberchicken
There have been a few major fatalities in the D.C / Maryland / Virginia area as well in the last few months. The other thing I noticed is a lot more people that drive with one foot on the gas, the other on the brakes, and constantly activating the brakes while traveling on major highways.
Following a driver on the highway that rests their left foot on the brake, activating the brake lights in the process is as bad as following a car with non-functioning brake lights...infuriating especially at night when so many cars have LEDs for taillights. Rant over.

 

[SumpChump]

In college a gal who sat next to me suddenly went missing from class after a weekend. Turned out that she was hit head on by an older (non alzheimers) driver who got on the wrong way. His family didnt have the guts to take his keys when he started age related degrading. That cost a 22 year old girl her life heading home to see her parents.

It was a combined 140 mph impact. There was little left of them. One of those situations that makes a thinking man chuckle with disgust when somebody at the wake says "It happens for a reason a greater purpose we can't yet see." Gimme a break. It happens because of stupidity and our deadly lust for individual rights to extremes.

 

[Silk]

A lot of bad accidents here with people driving on the wrong side of the road. Tourists from left hand drive countries. We have arrows painted on the road in places where tourists are likely to drive. Always a worry when I'm on my bike.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Silk
A lot of bad accidents here with people driving on the wrong side of the road. Tourists from left hand drive countries. We have arrows painted on the road in places where tourists are likely to drive. Always a worry when I'm on my bike.


I was cautious when I visited Auckland, but the little Holden Trax I rented was pretty easy to navigate!

 

[bbhero]

What does individual rights have to really do with this??? And by the way... The first ten amendments are individual rights enumerated in the Constitution for good reason.

The wrong way issue/accidents have a number of likely possible causes. Drunk drivers, high drivers, tired drivers, tourists confused, much older drivers etc.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
What does individual rights have to really do with this??? And by the way... The first ten amendments are individual rights enumerated in the Constitution for good reason.

Who mentioned anything about individual or constitutional rights?

 

[Ethan1]

Who is doing all the wrong way driving? Druggies? The elderly?

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Who is doing all the wrong way driving? Druggies? The elderly?
Guests from south of the border

 

[Smoky14]

Use extreme caution at night on I8. Illegals run the wrong side of the road to avoid USBP inspection stations. They run with no lights and it is scary out there. I had a near miss outside Yuma.

Smoky

 

[bioburner]

MN has had a fair increase in wrong way drivers it seems lately too. June thru August are called the worst 90 days of the year for accidents. Combination of older drivers and summer drinking combined with major road construction all add up to some ugly numbers. We have had three drownings this June so far which is a record for the first week and it a long way from being over. They just busted couple drivers this week driving thru construction areas at around 9 am with blood alcohol over .2
Inattention is way up with I think they said 40% of accidents!
Funny story from a friend of mine last month was coming home from fireworks event with trunk full of product and was trying to program the GPS and ran into the median and wrecked his over 20 year old rust bucket Honda and when the cop showed up when they where transferring the product the cop asked what they were doing and was told " we're putting the explosives from the wrecked car into the good car". The cop said "good idea". Friend fessed up about they GPS and was issued a ticket for inattentive driving.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: SumpChump
In college a gal who sat next to me suddenly went missing from class after a weekend. Turned out that she was hit head on by an older (non alzheimers) driver who got on the wrong way. His family didnt have the guts to take his keys when he started age related degrading. That cost a 22 year old girl her life heading home to see her parents.

It was a combined 140 mph impact. There was little left of them. One of those situations that makes a thinking man chuckle with disgust when somebody at the wake says "It happens for a reason a greater purpose we can't yet see." Gimme a break. It happens because of stupidity and our deadly lust for individual rights to extremes.


Believe I was getting my IL license after moving back when a group of people escorted an older man in, I'm guessing it was a father with his grown kids. He didn't seem to know where he was and had to be steered to the right stations.
When it came time for his vision test, he just randomly yelled out letters ("A? Q? Z? X??") while everybody around him laughed and the person giving the test told him to try again!! He had coke bottle glasses and they didn't seem to be enough. Pretty sure he still got his license renewed.
I can understand not wanting to take a license away from an older person who may well have been a sterling contributor to society for 50 years, but somebody who is almost blind and cannot even walk into an office on his own shouldn't be driving, hmmm?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

It's been happening around here a lot too lately.

I'm glad I do not spend as much time on the interstate as I used to

 

[Delta]

While it's alot to do with inattentive drivers, there are alot of poorly designed interchanges. One in mind is the Bedford, PA Turnpike interchange getting on the 'pike. Before they put cones up people were frequently going the wrong way, heck I almost did it myself.

 

[Chris142]

I read about this ocasionally. Our on ramps are designed so that its pretty hard to get on a fwy backwards.

I had to disable my fathers car when he started having issues driving. My first attempt was pulling relays which he figured out and used jumper wires!

I ended up stealing the battery from the car.

 

[CourierDriver]

I'm 71, yes we or some of us will do the wrong way drive thing...we also weave more and reaction times are not what they use to be,,,, my wife notices some of this when I drive, but I am not driving on the wrong side of the road, well not yet anyway..

 

[eljefino]

We get them here too. Many have Florida licenses and spend 6 months there, 6 here. All octogenarians.

Cop tear-assn:

 

[mitsuman47]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: bbhero
What does individual rights have to really do with this??? And by the way... The first ten amendments are individual rights enumerated in the Constitution for good reason.

Who mentioned anything about individual or constitutional rights?

SumpChump.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Not really an issue here. It happens, but no more than ever and only a few incidents a year. I can't recall a local collision in the last two years.

There must be some reason for the discrepancy, the only one I can think of is doctors are required by law to report certain health issues to the drivers' licensing authority, and you then are on a 12-month restricted license, have to do a medical every year or your license is suspended (and driving while suspended carries the same penalty as DWI).

I had some dizzy spells due to medication interaction, ended up on hospital for two weeks while they sorted it out. That was enough; I will have to have a medical to keep my license every year for the rest of my life, I'm not yet 60.

The medical is no picnic, includes a full vision test. If you can't pass you can't drive.