BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont officials are pleading with drivers to slow down and pay attention, citing an uptick in the number of wrong-way drivers.
“It is a concern of ours,” Vt. State Police Lt. Paul Ravelin said. “Certainly one of the most significant events that can happen on the interstate because motorists traveling one way on the interstate are not anticipating a car coming at them in the opposite direction.”
One driver captured on a state police dash camera can be seen going the wrong way not stopping for responding troopers. In that case, police say the driver was under the influence and was later arrested.
According to state officials, there have been 48 wrong-way driving incidents this year. That includes calls reporting a wrong-way driver and incidents that end in a crash. The most recent data available is through June of this year, putting us on track to surpass 2022′s five-year peak of 86. State police say most of those incidents were caused by impaired or confused drivers.
“It’s like hitting a wall at 120 miles per hour,” said Bill Jenkins, a Vermont law enforcement liaison. “There are going to be severe injuries or deaths as a result of a crash like that. I don’t think I can overstate the danger of that and how important it is to respond as effectively as we can.”
Officials say despite ample signage, more and more drivers are heading down a potentially deadly path. Now, they’re pleading for you to be prepared.
“Be alert– for hazards that could exist is a really big one. Don’t just look at the vehicle in front of you. Scan up the roadway and see what hazards might be in front of you that you might have to avoid,” Ravelin advised.
Officials also point out that drivers should only use the left lane for passing and should primarily drive in the right-hand lane. In the case of a wrong-way driver, they typically drive in what they perceive to be the right-hand lane, which is actually the left lane for those driving in the correct direction.
Most of the incidents involve drunk drivers and officials say cracking down on that behavior could make a difference.
“It’s not 100% but the more we can get the impaired drivers off the road, the more we can prevent or mitigate this issue,” Jenkins said.
Authorities say if you encounter a wrong-way driver, slow down and call 911.