Wrong-way driving causes a small number of serious accidents. In this research, the original accident registration sets and the more elaborate official police reports of wrong-way accidents on Dutch motorways were analysed. The accident reports especially proved to give more insight into the way wrong-way driving begins. Included in the supplementary research was the examination of the factors associated with road design and driver behaviour that could have played a role in wrong-way driving. Therefore, junctions where drivers started wrong-way movements were visited. The supplementary research also examined legal liability in accidents involving wrong-way driving and the effectiveness of (new) measures to prevent wrong-way driving. Analysis of the official police reports showed that about half of the episodes of wrong-way driving began when drivers entered exits, while the other half began when drivers turned their cars (mainly on the main carriageway) or were engaged in similar manoeuvres. The supplementary research focused on situations in which exits were entered unintentionally. This error, made by the largest group, is the simplest to prevent due to its involuntary nature and the locations where it occurs. If the indications found about the characteristics of exits that have been the scene of wrong-way entries are confirmed in further research, complying with the existing specifications for the signing and visibility of these junctions and the maintenance of line markings are amongst the most important measures to be taken to prevent wrong-way driving.
Abstract