Wrong-Way Highway Crashes Resulted in Nearly 6,000 Deaths Over the Past Decade: AAA

Researchers found that wrong-way highway crash fatalities nearly doubled between 2014 and 2023, increasing faster than overall traffic deaths.

A new report indicates there have been more than 4,000 fatal accidents on U.S. roads over the past decade involving a vehicle traveling the wrong way on a highway, resulting in nearly 6,000 deaths.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) published the report through its Foundation for Traffic Safety (FTS) in March 2026, indicating that multiple risk factors may be contributing to the increasing number of wrong-way crashes on multi-lane highways in America.

Divided, or multi-lane highways are roadways where opposing traffic lanes are separated by physical barriers, such as concrete medians, guardrails or landscaped strips. They are designed to increase safety by separating traffic flow, with each direction typically operating as a one-way road. 

A wrong-way highway crash occurs on these kinds of roads when a driver travels against the flow of traffic, often by entering an exit ramp or the wrong lane as a result of impaired driving, confusion or driver error. These crashes are especially dangerous because they can lead to high-speed head-on collisions, which may cause serious injury or death.

In the report, AAA researchers analyzed fatal wrong-way crashes on divided U.S. highways from 2014 through 2023, examining crash totals, fatalities and factors such as driver impairment, age, vehicle characteristics and road conditions. 

The findings showed that 4,164 fatal wrong-way crashes occurred on divided highways during this period, resulting in 5,730 deaths. Annual crashes nearly doubled from 278 in 2014 to 520 in 2023, with fatalities increasing faster than overall fatal crashes.

Older drivers, alcohol-impaired drivers, those without valid licenses and drivers of older vehicles face a higher risk of fatal wrong-way crashes. The risk is also higher in rural areas, during low-light conditions, among drivers far from home, and those driving vehicles registered to others.

“While these events are still relatively rare, they have continued to steadily increase, indicating a potential growing safety issue.”

— AAA, Fatal Wrong-Way Crashes on Divided Highways, United States, 2014-2023

Wrong-way highway crash risk factors have implications for potential countermeasures as well, including increased driver education, using warnings through navigation apps, implementing additional alerts like directional rumble strips, and adopting multifaceted approaches to improve safety.

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