Help - driver going the wrong way on a motorway! Lessons from the UK, USA, New Zealand

California wrong way signage. Wikipedia.

In the UK and USA drivers have gone the wrong way. Causing fatal accidents. Several changes are needed. 

I was shocked. I thought, another one, that's two, one each side of 'the pond' or ocean. When I read the statistics, I was even more shocked. More than 400 such accidents in the USA each year.  Of course, prevention costs money. But imagine the costs of medicine for injuries, car damage, car replacement, insurance reports, insurance company investigations, police and ambulance attending, traffic delays, missed social events and work appointments, even clothes and stress to others, plus, of course, hospitals, enquiries, inquests into causes of accident events, coroner's report on medical findings, funerals, gravestones, memorial services, sometimes prosecutions or private court cases seeking damages, petitions for changes in the law.

I started writing two changes are needed. Then I thought of more and reached five. 

1 One way barriers to exits so only emergency vehicles can enter them.

2 Immediate warning signs to stop to all traffic if a vehicle enters the wrong way on a slip road. 

3 A wrong way vehicle emergency number to summon police if a vehicle is driving the wrong way. Restore hard shoulders so vehicles can pull over and stop if they or another vehicle are driving the wrong way. 

4 Mandatory stopping of traffic if a vehicle is seen driving the wrong way, not just honking and flashing lights. 

5 Lay-bys, or pull-ins, or pedestrian spaces are needed on the fast lane. My vehicle was hit by another and came to rest in the fast lane, endangering me and others. At my request the driver or a large lorry blocked my lane, also the next lane, by parking diagonally, which was an obvious obstruction and unusual position which could be seen for miles back, slowing traffic and prevented multiple rear-enders.

Some measures have already been taken, clearly not enough.

Causes of Wrong Way Driving

Accidental

Near borders and ferries UK-France, drivers where other countries drive on the opposite side. Drivers quickly realise their mistake and usually reverse slowly and re-route. Nowadays more and larger signs warn the British and others exiting from ports onto main roads. 

If you hire a local car, the driver's seat and driving wheel are usually in the middle of the road so he can see oncoming and distant traffic, whilst the front passenger seat is by the (pedestrian) pavement (sidewalk is what Amreicans call it) so that passengers exit safely, not into the road.

Distracted Driving

Noted Causes of Wrong-Way Driving

Driver reading online road maps - (I query, due to poor signage?) 

New Zealand changed signage to make it clearer, with fewer signs meaning less clutter. 

Driver texting. 

Driver watching movies! 

(Other types of accidents have been caused by a driver distracted by animals, by children (one notable case of a mother turning to stop siblings fighting, resulting in an accident causing the death of one child), back seat passengers, insects flying in.)

Places

In the USA there are apparently more accidents of this type in Florida, Texas and California.  I suspect the causes might relate, not entirely, but inflated by, the numbers of elderly drivers in Florida (poor eyesight, but in my opinion also Alzheimer's or poor decision making due to it; maybe drugs in California, resulting in poor attention, or thrill seeking. 

Lessons Learned To Avoid Being The Wrong-Way Driver

1 Remember which side of the road to drive on when going from the UK to Europe and Europe to the UK.

2 Have regular eye tests. Carry spare glasses in case you lose them. Check your route and intermediate points. Use speaking satnav rather than one requiring you to look down or away from the road.

3 If you miss your turning, never try to U-turn back against traffic on a motorway.

Avoiding One Way Drivers

Accidents are more likely when there is poor visibility at night or in bad weather. Watch the distance, if you can. Try to get behind an obstruction such as a parked car or tree or pole so that the other vehicle does not hit you head on with full force. In the USA you call 911 (not the old UK number of 999). Be familiar with emergency numbers, have them on a post-it and/or have them listed in your phone contacts.

Safe driving!

Useful Websites

Daily Mail 22 Jan 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14311177/Six-million-Brits-retake-driving-test-campaigners-call.html

Global Statistics On Types Of accidents, which cause most fatalities, geographical hotspots, prevention

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrong-way_driving

In-car Warnings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrong-way_driving_warning

Prevention When Others Approach Wrong Way

https://caraccidentattorney.com/blog/safety-tips-to-defend-against-a-wrong-way-driver

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Books On Surviving A Dangerous Event Such As A Terrorist Attack; A Suicidal Attacker, Knife, Kidnap, Poison

Rescue dogs. FEMA. (Fire Emergency rescue service.) Photo from Wikipedis 

The American acronym FEMA is not Fire and Emergency Association, as I imagined, but Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency

.

But, whilst waiting for them to arrive, first things first.

Problem
What do you do in an emergency situation?

In Singapore you see instructions on posters and videos at stations:
Run
Hide
Tell

Advice on action includes preventing others from running into danger.

In Singapore classes are given in First Aid and administering CPR (resuscitation).

Natural disasters and accidents include:
earthquakes:
fires:
floods:
snowed in: (in many countries snow chains and snow tyres are available or obligatory)
tsunamis - generally read the signs, register for alerts and know your way to high ground.
Install lightning conductors and ensure you know the way to the exit in a hotel or other buildings.

At Toastmasters International, the convenor of every meeting is expected to start by pointing out the exits, like the staff on an airplane.

In the UK in March 2018 advice is being given about how to reduce the risk of contamination.

To prevent an attack starting or escalating, suggestions include:
Persuading the attacker to sit down and explain his or her grievances.

Call the attacker's parent or close relative.

Offer / negotiate a reward for a truce or delay - a cigarette, a drink, an order of pizza, a getaway car, money, a chance to speak on TV, a chance to speak to a mother or close relative, a house, a job, an exchange of prisoners, a plea bargain. Ask what the assailant wants. Ask if there's something small you can easily provide (such as the pizza).

In a school send another child (near the door) or another adult for help (to a next door class to warn a teacher - not to race around the school looking for the head teacher).

In a group:
Barricade the door.
Form a team to attack:
Your defence could be:
A pub stool,
A chair - to block or throw
A table - thrown by a pair or group
Knives and forks
A bottle
A pint pot
Cold or hot drinks thrown in somebody's face

You can download apps which connect you with security services and pinpoint your position without your having to speak so that potential attackers do not hear you.
Assaults and Terrorist Attacks

Poisons
Regarding snakes, note the difference between poison and venom. A snake spits a venom. A poison is a harmful substance which causes damage if swallowed.

Advice given out recently was to wash potentially contaminated clothes, wipe other items with baby wipes, and for items needing dry cleaning, to double wrap them in plastic securely tied before disposal.

After a member of my family receiving cancer treatment, we were given advice on using separate towels and so on to avoid contamination and long term effects even after a passage of time.

Useful Websites
SINGAPORE
https://www.police.gov.sg/content/contact-us
UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-advice-following-salisbury-nerve-agent-incident
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5487305/Health-bosses-tell-500-people-wash-possessions.html
Be A Hero: The Essential Guide to Active Shooter Incidents, co-written by John Geddes and Alun Rees.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Hero-Essential-Survival-Active-Shooter/dp/
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/how-would-you-survive-kidnap.html

Author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Drunken Escapades - don't do it - here's why

Problem
On holiday people get drunk. Celebrating, people get drunk. Then, alone or in a group, they do things which seemed like a good idea at the time, not so good a day or two later.

Drunk or sober, before taking any actions, ask yourself:
1 HOW DO RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE & HEROES ACT?
Would this action be done by any responsible person such as, (choose your favourites) my parents, my school teachers, the head of my school, my country or state, the HM The Queen?
Don't be an anti-hero if you can be a hero.

2 DO AS YOU WOULD BE DONE BY
Would I be happy if somebody else did this to me?

3 NEWSPAPER REPORTS
It used to be said, 'a lady should get her name in the newspapers only when she is born, when she marries and when she dies'. How will I feel if this is reported in the papers or on the internet and known to the next person giving out honours or jobs?

4 NO HONOUR AMONGST THIEVES?
If somebody else did this and I allowed them to do it, do I risk them claiming that I did it, in order to save themselves from loss of status, being put in prison or worse?

5 PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
Can I safely suggest to somebody else that they might refrain from this action, to protect them from regrets and punishment and to protect an innocent third party?

6 YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE
Do I owe it to my family, friends, colleagues, sponsors, bystanders, members of the same sex, race, religion, nationality, to protect our reputation?

7 CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES
Actions have consequences. For you, your family, your colleagues, nearby acquaintances, people at a distance. Like stepping on a butterfly in the short story, everything has consequences. Consider the consequences.

8 HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS
Instead of' it seemed like a good idea at the time', you might find that 'on second thoughts, it did not seem such a good idea'. You would then save yourself and lots of other people lots of trouble.

9 FAMILY FIRST, LAWYERS LAST
Your family come first, not the people looking for work or a story or entertainment. You can entertain with your successes and skills. Believe me, if you refrain from a bad action, the lawyers won't go hungry. And journalists will be able to find something else to write about.

10 WRITE YOUR OWN EULOGY
Set a good example to others. Everything you do, even running across the road when the light is red, can inspire children and adults to copy you, at the time, immedately afterwards, or later. What do you want on your obituary? Not errors of judgement! Only good things!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5434151/Canadian-athlete-coach-fined-taking-car-Olympics.html#comments

Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Bedbugs in hotel beds - or your home!

How do you identify a bug bite? Or spot the bugs before they bite.
Lots of tips in a newspaper article, the comments, and a website.

To summarize - what I learned and will do. Up to you which of these you feel would be helpful or necessary.
1 Bites - the picture shows dime size red marks - but are they bites or allergic reaction - does it matter - if it's caused by bugs you have the problem and the cause
2 Prevention is better than cure. Check between mattresses, behind the headboard, in the bed.
3 Check room before unpacking.
4 One reader suggested keeping all your possessions in the bathroom (on a stay of just one night that would be easier than long stay).
5 In the middle of the night you might have to change rooms. Check the room before accepting it and unpacking.
6 Change hotels.
7 Check hotels on TripAdvisor.
8 Carry bug killer and keep bug killing instructions.

Bedbugs in the USA, Florida
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1194711/Families-horror-finding-BEDBUGS-Florida-resort-room.html

Bedbugs in London
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-300579/The-bed-bug-wont-die.html

Angela Lansbury, author and travel writer. Please follow my posts and pass on the link. Thank you.