Ongoing accidents caused by wrong-way drivers on Japan’s expressways underscore the limits of ad hoc measures and point to the need for more comprehensive prevention efforts, such as redesigning interchanges.
Around 200 cases of wrong-way driving on expressways are reported each year in Japan. While authorities have introduced quick fixes like warning signs, these measures have failed to stop wrong-way driving 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.
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