Rooting Out Wrong-Way Driving on Expressways Seen Difficult for Now in Japan

   Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)--Unabated accidents caused by wrong-way drivers on expressways in Japan highlight ad hoc measures' inability to root out such potentially fatal accidents, calling for full-fledged preventive steps such as interchange redesigning.
   About 200 cases of wrong-way expressway driving have been reported each year in the country. Authorities have taken various immediate remedies--among them setting up warning signs--but failed to prevent driving in the wrong direction for structural reasons.
   On the night of April 26, a passenger car entered the Tohoku Expressway from the Kuroiso-Itamuro interchange in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, and drove the wrong way on the inbound route for about 3 kilometers, ending up in a deadly head-on collision.
   According to the Tochigi police, the vehicle initially left the expressway from the outbound lane and passed through a tollgate at the interchange. But it soon passed through the same tollgate to re-enter the expressway, took a left turn at a right turn-only Y-intersection, got on the inbound lane and drove against the direction of traffic.
   The at-grade intersection has the road leading to the inbound lane painted distinguishably, as well as a "No Left Turn" sign shown to drivers going to travel on the lane. But those measures failed to prevent the accident.

(2025/06/16-20:20)