Connecticut saw an increase in fatal wrong-way car wrecks in 2022. In that year, 23 people lost their lives in wrong-way collisions.
And while the state is taking steps to address the problem, including installing more “Wrong Way” road signs and adding more pavement markings that highlight which direction to drive, the fact is that wrong-way collisions continue to occur.
Why so many wrong-way crashes?
One social factor that often leads to a wrong-way crash is drunk driving. Most of us know our limits and would never intentionally drive drunk. We either sober up before driving or ride with a designated driver. We might even call a ride-sharing service or walk home rather than drive drunk.
Still, some people are willing to take the risk of drunk driving, which could lead to a wrong-way crash. They may be under the impression they are not as inebriated as they think they are. They might even think that alcohol does not affect them the way it affects others. These are dangerous beliefs to hold, as they often lead a person to drive while intoxicated.
Preventing drunk driving
We already know that it is against the law to drive under the influence in Connecticut. So, an increased police presence on the road and sobriety checkpoints sometimes helps cut down on the number of drunk drivers on the road, especially during times of the year when many people will be out drinking.
Still, the threat of a DUI is not always enough to stop some people from driving drunk and subsequently causing a wrong-way drunk crash. These people need to be held responsible, so they do not make such dangerous choices in the future and to deter others from making the same bad decision.
One way to hold a drunk driver responsible for a wrong-way crash they caused is to pursue a personal injury claim based on negligence. A negligence claim is filed by a plaintiff when the defendant breached their duty of care, thus causing the collision that harmed the plaintiff.
For example, we all have a duty not to drive drunk, as doing so is inherently unsafe. If we choose to drive drunk and cause a wrong-way crash due to our inebriation, the other motorist involved could be seriously injured. Car crashes that cause serious injuries are a foreseeable consequence of drunk driving. So, it might be possible to seek damages against a drunk driver who causes a wrong-way collision. This might be one way to address Connecticut’s wrong-way crash problem due to drunk driving.