Statistics show that most fatal wrong-way driving crashes occur in the center or left-hand lane.
In an effort to decrease the frequency of wrong-way crashes, the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has launched a public safety campaign encouraging drivers to “Stay Right at Night.”
“Driver safety and education are paramount at DHSMV, and data shows that on Florida’s roadways, wrong way fatalities continue to increase each year,” said DHSMV Executive Director Terry L. Rhodes. “Wrong way crashes are high impact crashes, which means drivers and passengers involved are occasionally injured, if not killed. Motorists are encouraged to stay in the right lane, especially at night, and always pay attention to posted street signs to avoid becoming a wrong way driver themselves.”
Preliminary figures show that in 2015, there were 1,490 wrong way driving crashes in Florida, resulting in 1,454 injuries and 96 fatalities. In the majority of wrong way crashes, vehicles are hit head-on, resulting in 81 percent of all wrong way fatalities. Head-on collisions are some of the most dangerous and deadly crashes. In more than two-thirds of all wrong way crashes, the driver was either injured or killed.
The announcement of the “Stay Right at Night” campaign came as the Florida Highway Patrol announced the arrest of William Uhrmann in an alleged wrong-way driving crash that killed St. Johns resident Wallace Beale earlier this year.
