Right ideas for wrong-way drivers

Justin Malueg was the first officer to arrive at the fatal traffic crash on Dec. 16, 2023 on U.S. Highway 10 near Weyauwega.

He pulled the 14-year-old through the back window and tried get the 9-year-old out but could not. The accident was caused by an intoxicated driver going the going west in the eastbound lane and it resulted in four deaths.

Over the past year Malueg has analyzed the accident from every angle and has studied an obscure subject: how do drivers end up turning the wrong way into one-way traffic lanes?

The wrong turn that precipitated the accident occurred on Little River Road near the corner where Custom Fiberglass Molding is located outside of Weyauwega. Little River Road forms a T-intersection with U.S. 10.

A driver can right turn into eastbound traffic or cut across the divided highway into the cross-traffic meridian spot, wait for a safe opening and turn left into the westbound lane.

On Saturday night, Dec. 16, Scott Farmer was at the intersection and turned left into oncoming traffic. He was intoxicated but even if he was sober he probably would not have seen the Do Not Enter sign that is located in the passenger-side ditch of the eastbound lane.

The sign can be seen from the driver’s side window while stopped at the intersection and it would be in the shadows as a driver makes the left-hand turn. The sign doesn’t appear in the windshield where a driver’s attention is focused.

Malueg points out that the sign would be better placed on the other side of the lane in the meridian strip. The headlights would have a chance to immediately sweep across the sign just as the driver makes a mistaken turn into the wrong lane.

“When somebody turns the wrong way, they are going to turn left into oncoming traffic. Wherever the headlights are pointing, that’s where you need the signs,” said Malueg.

Better signs and symbols

In the meridian is a black-and-white Divided Highway Right sign. There are two symbols on the sign. On the left is lower part of a half oval. Next to it is a curved arrow pointed forward past the half oval. A person could assume that the sign means to drive around some kind of object by veering to the right.

“It means divided highway and you have to go to the right of the median. Most people don’t know that and most people don’t see the sign. There are big, bright, bold yellow reflective signs that have ‘Divided Highway’ on it. Or a “Stay Right” sign. As long as it is big and bold and obvious for people that don’t know what a lot of signs mean. That’s the way it is, especially if you are intoxicated,” said Malueg.

Malueg – who is currently a law enforcement officer in Poynette and a part-time officer in Shiocton – also pointed out that many of the signs are too high and only catch a portion of the vehicle headlights. This works at a distance but not so well when stopped at an intersection and the sign is nearby.

On Little River Road and looking across to the far side of U.S. 10 there is a black-and-white One Way sign with an arrow pointing left. That indicates to a driver that is paused in the meridian to turn left. Malueg believes this sign could be much larger. It is the same size as speed limit signs on city streets.

Always at night

Malueg has received critical comments that no matter how many signs and reflectors are put up; it still will not deter intoxicated drivers. Malueg counters that during his time patrolling the highway, there was a very high percentage of wrong-way drivers that corrected themselves. Meaning that when a call came in reporting a wrong-way driver on U.S. 10, by the time Malueg arrived in the area, there was nobody driving the wrong way – the driver figured out the mistake and turned around in the right direction.

He studied data provided by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) about wrong-way driving incidents that occurred from the Winnebago County line to the Portage County line on U.S. 10. Not a single wrong-way driving incident happened during the day. “Why are we not having wrong-way drivers during the day? Because it’s well lit. There’s drunk drivers during the day so why don’t we see drunk drivers going the wrong way during the day? Signs will help,” said Malueg.

During his time as Waupaca County sheriff’s deputy, Malueg noticed a trend from Fremont up to Waupaca.

“Every time I got a wrong way driver it was almost always between Fremont and Weyauwega. When it was dispatched, it was ‘Ten and Reek,’ or ‘Ten and Little River Road,’ or ‘Ten and U,’ or ‘Ten and Sunset Curve,’ or ‘Ten and coming from the Winnebago county line,’” said Malueg.

He noted there were wrong-way calls for the intersection of U.S. 10 and County Trunk Q and also Anderson Road in the Waupaca area.

Recommendations

Malueg researched high-tech systems that prevent wrong-way drivers that use thermal imaging, cameras and radar. He learned that communities that implement these systems have double-digit percentage decreases in wrong-way driving.

He suggests going the low-tech route first because it’s simpler and he understands DOT budgets are tight. He recommends getting new (and larger) signs where most needed, lowering the current signs to better headlight level, placing the signs in more effective and logical spots, adding reflectors to sign posts, placement of LED flasher/sensors, replacing burned-out bulbs immediately at intersections, utilizing reflective paint on the pavement and keeping the intersection clear from tall grass and giant snow banks that block the view of the intersection. He noted signs with white backgrounds against a snowy landscape do not work well.

“Some of this stuff is so cheap. Shawano County has reflective tape on some of these signs and its ‘Holy smokes,’ when your headlights hit it. It’s so reflective. You see it from a mile away on a straight stretch,” said Malueg.

Making progress

Malueg has been in touch with a DOT officer in the Wisconsin Rapids region and safety improvements are in motion. The DOT did not know Farmer made a wrong turn from Little River Road. Malueg pointed this out and his DOT contact ran this information up the chain of command and according to a recent email Malueg received from the DOT, there has been approval for work on Little River Road that includes new signage, painting and reflective markings on the signs in that intersection.

“It’s not as easy as saying this is a bad stretch of road and these community members are asking for extra signs to be put up. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. He [DOT contact] said this crash and me advocating and bringing attention to it, has made its way up to the top people. He said they do have a task force they created that is specific for wrong-way driving and they are putting Little River Road on the top of the list for safety improvements,” said Malueg.