Decrease of 10 percent

Wrong-way driver hotspot: the greatest danger lurks here

Reports of wrong-way drivers fell by ten percent in the previous year (symbolic image).

(Bild: P. Huber)

In 2024, 400 wrong-way drivers were reported to the Ö3 traffic service. That is 44 reports or around ten percent fewer than in the previous year. Styria leads the federal state rankings for the first time. The lowest number of wrong-way drivers was reported in Vienna.

Two people lost their lives in wrong-way accidents in 2024, while two people were seriously injured and 23 suffered minor injuries. In Styria and Burgenland, there was a slight increase in wrong-way driver reports, while a decrease was recorded in all other federal states.

Ten percent of wrong-way drivers are stopped
Only around ten percent of wrong-way driver reports are actually confirmed, the "ghost" usually remains invisible. The main cause of wrong-way driving is almost always serious misconduct on the part of the driver. According to Ö3 statistics, distraction, inattention, the influence of alcohol and drugs as well as confusion and excessive demands are the most common reasons. Increasingly, "blind trust" in navigation devices is also playing a role - some drivers follow the instructions to turn literally. According to ASFINAG safety expert Bernhard Lautner, the human factor can only be influenced to a limited extent.

All data on wrong-way driver reports are analyzed by ASFINAG every year together with the accident data from the Ministry of the Interior in order to identify problem areas and take appropriate measures where possible. "As a freeway operator, we constantly check junctions, for example, for improvements in signage and road markings," explains Lautner. "Roadworks are also carefully checked for potential problem areas."

Wörthersee section causes danger
Last year, the most wrong-way drivers were registered on the southern highway (A2) with 64 reports, followed by the Tauern highway (A10) and the western highway (A1). The section of freeway with the most wrong-way drivers since the surveys began is the Wörthersee section of the A2 between Klagenfurt and Villach. In 2024, 20 wrong-way drivers were reported there as well as on the Semmering expressway (S6). In the greater Villach area, this region accounted for 16 percent of all wrong-way driver reports last year. The region was already Austria's hotspot for wrong-way driving in 2023.

Heat goes to drivers' heads
The fewest wrong-way drivers are on the road in February. Most reports are made in summer between June and September, with a peak of 49 reports in August. The day with the most registered wrong-way drivers was June 25 with seven reports. In 2024, most wrong-way drivers were also reported at weekends, particularly frequently on Saturdays. The most dangerous time is in the evening between 9 p.m. and midnight, while encounters with wrong-way drivers are rarest in the morning between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.

The highest number since the Ö3 wrong-way driver statistics began was recorded in 2004 with 550 reports, the lowest in 2020 with 346 reports. The main causes of wrong-way driving are the influence of alcohol or drugs, excessive demands and distraction.