State makes efforts to curb wrong-way drivers

To address the often deadly consequences of drivers getting on state roads and traveling in the wrong direction, the state Department of Transportation has taken several measures over the last decade, said agency spokeswoman Eileen Peters.

The DOT examines all accident reports in fatal crashes, she said, and visits crash sites to determine if engineering improvements are needed.

"It's something that we have addressed, that we've been aware of. It has been a concern to us," Peters said of wrong-way crashes. "If you follow the rules of the road, the roads are safe."

More than 10 years ago, Peters said the DOT redesigned some parkway entrances and exits "so that they made more sense" - for instance, by avoiding left-turn entrances onto parkways.

On most of Long Island's highway on and off ramps, arrows have been painted on roads that point in the direction of traffic, Peters said. Ramps have also been fitted with reflectors that produce white light if drivers are headed the correct way and red light if they're not, as well as "wrong way" and "do not enter" signs, she said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, wrong-way driving was a factor in 1.5 percent of fatal crashes nationwide.

Wrong-way-crash drivers often share a similar profile. Research shows that impaired and older drivers are overrepresented in wrong-way crashes. Also, studies show the collisions happen more frequently at night.

Wrong-way crashes also often involve violent, high-speed, head-on collisions.

In 2008, the last year for which data were immediately available, 18 fatalities in New York State involved a wrong-way driver. From 2004 until 2008, there were 81 such fatalities, with the fewest, 13, in 2004.

Nationwide, there were 1,099 wrong-way fatalities in 2008 and a total of 5,807 stretching back to 2004, when 1,362 such fatalities were recorded.