[MDBolt]

https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-...on-us-23-near-6-mile-road-in-washtenaw-county

Looks like it was a white Bolt (seen on the upper left of the article photograph). It appears that the cabin was well-preserved.

 

[GJETSON]

Can't blame this on Autopilot.

 

[rgmichel]

Must be the worst possible type of Bolt EV crash, and the driver survived... amazing. Nevertheless, its one of those things that you don't want to talk about much. These things are just terrible.

 

[fusionjazz]

Just saw it on the news. A 74 year old man was driving the wrong way on the express way. People were calling the police about it, but law enforcement did not have time to reach him before collision. Tragic. The guy had been travelling at least a mile when the calls started coming in.

 

[bro1999]

Can't blame this on Autopilot.

No battery fire either.

Tragic, but shows the Bolt is definitely well built for the driver to survive. Though the question now is why was the driver driving on the wrong side of the highway for over a mile??

 

[Enzeder]

Though the question now is why was the driver driving on the wrong side of the highway for over a mile??

I'll take the long odds and guess driver error (considering the "over a mile" bit).

While it's possible to be an engineering issue like poor road design or missing sign, it's usually pretty tricky to get on the wrong side and you'd expect them to pull off to the shoulder quickly. There's one ramp design I've seen trip people up called the "folded diamond" (trying to attach below). We have them near us and years ago while traveling in an unfamiliar area Dad went down the off-ramp (wrong way) due to some confusing signage. However we never made it to the highway as we bailed as soon as the error was realized and while still on the clover leaf. If the terrain hadn't allowed it, we could have reversed out.

 

[MDBolt]

Tragic, but shows the Bolt is definitely well built for the driver to survive.

Exactly. This was one of the most important considerations we had when we were in the market for an EV - safety. The Bolt just checked all the boxes. Certainly tragic for everyone involved, especially for the occupants of the Ford, but this incident illustrates real-world results for the Bolt that support controlled-environment tests. From IIHS (with special attention to driver-side front collision testing):

Bolt
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/chevrolet/bolt-4-door-hatchback

Model S (Model 3 not yet rated)
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/tesla/model-s-4-door-hatchback

Leaf
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/nissan/leaf-4-door-hatchback/2017#jump-to

 

[GJETSON]

There's one ramp design I've seen trip people up called the "folded diamond"

We have a new diverging diamond near us. I think of it as traffic calming. It is so confusing that most people will crawl through it.

 

[DesertSprings]

I've experienced those in Texas. Definitely a WTF the first time you come across one.

 

[DaV8or]

Is this the kind of interchange you guys are talking about?

If so, I still can't see how you can mess up and end up going the wrong way?

 

[BoltFan]

Can't blame this on Autopilot.

But was he using Lane Keep Assist? :nerd: This was Mr. Magoo.

 

[fpliptak]

Continuous Flow Intersection

Is this the kind of interchange you guys are talking about?

If so, I still can't see how you can mess up and end up going the wrong way?

It is usually referred to as a Continuous Flow Intersection. We have a couple of these in St. George, UT. The first time you end up on one it is a little disconcerting but they actually allow the traffic to flow a lot better when coming off of a limited access (e.g. an Interstate) highway.
It works better than the standard off-ramp, just takes some getting used to and it is more efficient.

 

[Enzeder]

It's not the one I was talking about. I was thinking of an older/cheaper interchange:

Sometimes the ramps are very close and other times they have a bit of separation. If there's any trouble with the signs (old/faded/broken/missing) then folks crossing traffic (turning left on to the ramp) can miss the second entrance intended for them and attempt the first. If they're not local, they may not know they have to turn left (assuming a regular cloverleaf), realize late they need to cross traffic, then focus on crossing traffic and off they go on the first road which is the off-ramp...

 

[Packard V8]

That the driver continued for a mile with oncoming traffic dodging him makes how he got there in the first place moot. He manifestly was non compos mentis; a conscious driver would have immediately taken to the shoulder as soon as he saw oncoming traffic in his lane.

jack vines

 

[DaV8or]

That the driver continued for a mile with oncoming traffic dodging him makes how he got there in the first place moot. He manifestly was non compos mentis; a conscious driver would have immediately taken to the shoulder as soon as he saw oncoming traffic in his lane.

jack vines

Agreed. Panic and confusion, or just suicidal? One does not drive anywhere near a mile once you have realized your mistake.

 

[LooseBolt]

It is usually referred to as a Continuous Flow Intersection. We have a couple of these in St. George, UT. The first time you end up on one it is a little disconcerting but they actually allow the traffic to flow a lot better when coming off of a limited access (e.g. an Interstate) highway.
It works better than the standard off-ramp, just takes some getting used to and it is more efficient.

They recently put one of these in Haymarket Va. I absolutely hate it and think it's dangerous. I thought Virginia had a monopoly on idiotic road design, guess not. But, I bet we have more idiotic road design per mile than any other state! I think "little disconcerting" is a vast understatement. Imagine driving at night, in the rain, being tired and encountering one of these travesties for the first time. Recipe for disaster.

 

[shocker]

Pretty sure the highway in question doesn't have exotic interchanges. Broad daylight wrong way driving says to me dementia or way over the limit DUI.
How is traffic controlled at the crossovers of the diamond interchanges? I know I sweat blood every time I go through a multilane roundabout.

 

[MDBolt]

It's not the one I was talking about. I was thinking of an older/cheaper interchange:

Sometimes the ramps are very close and other times they have a bit of separation. If there's any trouble with the signs (old/faded/broken/missing) then folks crossing traffic (turning left on to the ramp) can miss the second entrance intended for them and attempt the first. If they're not local, they may not know they have to turn left (assuming a regular cloverleaf), realize late they need to cross traffic, then focus on crossing traffic and off they go on the first road which is the off-ramp...

Interesting thought. I looked up the intersection of US-23 and 6 Mile and found that the Southbound lane on/off ramps (the Bolt was traveling Northbound on the Southbound lane according to the article) closely resembles the figure you shared:

 

[Superspectral]

I live about 15 miles away from where this accident happened. The driver was traveling northbound on the southbound side of the freeway. The entrance (south) just prior to the accident location has *traffic circles* at the entrance/exits for the ramps on each side. Pure speculation - the driver was confused by the circles and entered the southbound freeway by turning from the circle onto the exit.

 

[DaV8or]

I live about 15 miles away from where this accident happened. The driver was traveling northbound on the southbound side of the freeway. The entrance (south) just prior to the accident location has *traffic circles* at the entrance/exits for the ramps on each side. Pure speculation - the driver was confused by the circles and entered the southbound freeway by turning from the circle onto the exit.

Was it not the intersection attached in the post above? If it was the attached one, it's pretty simple to explain how he got going the wrong way. The greater question is why he drove so far and so fast?