Remaining aware and alert while driving could mean the difference between life and death in any situation while on the road, and encountering a wrong-way driver is no different.
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Automotive Fleet Magazine shared an extensive list of ways to keep you and your family safe when you encounter someone headed toward you.
One way to reduce the possibility of a collision- Keep your eyes on the horizon line while driving. Looking down the road increases the chances that you'll see a road hazard in enough time to avoid it.
Pull over to the right
If a wrong-way driver is coming at you, pull over on the shoulder and don't hit the brakes. Instead, swerve because you may only have a few seconds to react.
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Drive in the right lane
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, 7 out of 9 wrong way crashes happen in the left lane.
"When you are on a highway at night, if it's a two-lane highway, stay in the right lane because a lot of times when these drunk drivers get up here, they think they are on a two-lane road when they are going the wrong way," said Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Assistant Chief Terry Allbritton. "So it's always dangerous at night to be in the inside lane,"
Extra caution at night and on weekends
The NTSB finds that 70% of wrong-way crashes occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The majority of wrong-way drivers are impaired by alcohol.
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Call 911
Once you're safe, call police. Your call could help save someone else's life.
Approximately 350 people die each year because of wrong-way drivers, according to 2019 statistics from the NTSB. While they're not common, they are often the deadliest type of crash.
You can read more from Automotive Fleet here.
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