Why Do Drivers Go the Wrong Way on BC Highways?

Driving the wrong way on a divided highway or freeway is one of the most dangerous mistakes a driver can make. Fortunately, this type of collision is relatively rare, but the consequences are often severe because closing speeds can exceed 200 km/h.

We received a driving complaint about once a month involving someone travelling the wrong way on the Inland Island Highway when I was working for the BC Highway Patrol in Parksville. Fortunately, most of these reports were resolved without a collision, but every one had the potential to end in tragedy.

Why Wrong-Way Collisions Are So Dangerous

Divided highways are designed on the assumption that every vehicle will travel in the correct direction. Drivers scan ahead for slowing traffic, lane changes and road hazards—not for an oncoming vehicle in their lane. At highway speeds, the time available to recognize the danger and react safely may be only a few seconds, leaving little opportunity to avoid a collision.

Because the vehicles are approaching one another, even a brief delay in recognizing the danger can make the difference between a successful evasive manoeuvre and a head-on crash.

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Why Drivers Go the Wrong Way

The most common reasons for wrong-way driving include impaired driving, intentional acts such as suicide attempts and genuine confusion. Other contributing factors include cognitive impairment, medical conditions and confusing road or interchange design. Most wrong-way drivers do not deliberately enter a highway in the wrong direction. They often make a navigation error at an interchange or exit ramp and continue driving without immediately recognizing their mistake.

One study found that some Do Not Enter signs were mounted higher than the normal scanning path used by older drivers, making them easier to miss.

Wrong-way entries are also more likely to occur at night, when visibility is reduced and fewer surrounding vehicles provide visual cues about the correct direction of travel.

How to Protect Yourself

Travel in the right lane except when passing because a wrong-way driver is most likely to be in the lane to your left. Scan well ahead, keep your attention on the road and always wear your seat belt properly. These habits increase the time available to recognize the danger and react safely.

If you notice headlights approaching in your lane at night, do not assume the other driver will correct their mistake. Begin taking evasive action immediately while maintaining as much control of your vehicle as possible.

If You Encounter a Wrong-Way Driver

Move as far to the right as it is safe to do so, onto the shoulder if necessary, and slow or stop if conditions permit. Reducing the closing speed and avoiding a direct head-on impact can significantly improve your chances of survival.

Avoid braking or steering suddenly if doing so would cause you to lose control or collide with other traffic. Your first priority is to avoid the head-on collision while maintaining control of your own vehicle.

If you avoid the collision safely, stop only when you are clear of danger and report the wrong-way driver by calling 911. Be prepared to provide the highway number, the driver's direction of travel, the nearest exit or kilometre marker if known, and a description of the vehicle.

In many cases, a wrong-way driver is never identified unless a collision occurs. Prompt reports from multiple witnesses greatly improve the chances that police can locate the vehicle before someone is seriously injured or killed.

BC Wrong-Way Crash Statistics

I used the Injury Data Online Tool (iDOT) hosted by the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit to examine collisions involving vehicles travelling on the wrong side of the road. Because the tool does not allow divided highways to be selected directly, I used highways posted at 110 km/h and 120 km/h as the closest approximation.

Between 2002 and 2024, the data identified 8 deaths and 27 injuries resulting from wrong-way driving on these higher-speed highways.

Across all BC highways during the same period, collisions involving vehicles travelling on the wrong side of the road resulted in 702 deaths and 5,596 injuries. While divided-highway wrong-way crashes are uncommon, they frequently produce severe consequences because of the extremely high closing speeds involved.

What Drivers Should Remember

Wrong-way driving collisions are rare, but they are among the most dangerous crashes that occur on divided highways. Staying alert, scanning well ahead and keeping to the right except when passing improve your chances of recognizing the danger before it is too late.

Defensive driving is about preserving options. The sooner you recognize an unusual situation, the more time you have to react safely. Maintaining a safe following distance, watching well ahead and anticipating the unexpected all increase the likelihood that a wrong-way driver becomes a near miss instead of a head-on collision.

References

• Fact Sheet – Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV)
• Investigation of Contributing Factors to Wrong-Way Driving
• Fact Sheet – National Transportation Safety Board

Help improve road safety in British Columbia by sharing this article with other drivers and encouraging everyone to stay alert for the unexpected.