Unfortunately, the number of wrong way accidents across California is alarming. Wrong way accidents should never happen because signage and lighting should make it relatively clear the appropriate way to proceed on the road.

However, a recent accident in Yolo led to the wrong way driver as well as five others being killed in a fiery crash. One Caltrans study identified that between 1995 and 2013, wrong way drivers in the state of California caused 23 separate fatal accidents.

They also identified that eight of the nine wrong way crashes that happened in San Diego and Sacramento counties in 2015 were directly influenced by the use of drugs or alcohol. California is making efforts to minimize the number of wrong way accidents. However, they still continue to take a toll on the local communities and the state as a whole. Caltrans is making warning signs bigger in a test zone area that is looking at ways to curb this devastating behavior.

The safety cameras and censors designed to prevent wrong way accidents have been placed in 18 locations throughout Yolo and Sacramento County along Highway 50 and Interstate 80. After the pilot program designed to identify wrong way drivers initiated in 2015, California Highway Patrol officers pulled over 245 wrong way drivers in that section of the road alone.