It was the night before Thanksgiving of 2018 where I found myself driving on the wrong side of the road. Well, actually I didn’t even know I was on the wrong side of the road until I saw the blue flashing lights behind me. When I saw another cop car approach me from oncoming traffic, that’s when I realized what happened. It wouldn’t be long before I set out on my journey with the intention to prevent wrong way drivers, and ultimately, save lives. As a result, there’s been a steady decrease in accidents at that intersection.
When the officer asked me if I knew why I was being pulled over, I apologetically stated how confused I was with the lack of road signs and the way that intersection splits. I felt him inch closer to see if he could smell alcohol on my breath. But the truth was, I was dead sober, fully alert, and had a clean driving record. In fact, I was the designated driver that night, too. But these circumstances didn’t make the road less confusing.
So I started speaking to people in the community and asked what they thought about the intersection. I was shocked by the amount of friends and colleagues that shared not only that they found it confusing, but they also made the same mistake driving on the wrong side of the road. I remember thinking, it doesn’t have to be this way, but I wasn’t sure where to start. The only thing I knew was Marissa’s Way, a non-profit based out of my hometown of Parkland, Florida, dedicated to preventing wrong way crashes. I reached out to Gary Catronio, who started the initiative after losing his daughter, Marissa, and her friend, Katie, back in November 2013, due to a drunk wrong way driver.
Gary explained the importance of education and how I don’t have to be another statistic. After our conversation, I felt inspired to go out into the world and rattle every cage until at least one “Wrong Way” sign was added to the intersection. Over about 8 months, I gained nearly 500 signatures on a petition, met with the Mayor of Rockville to gain the city’s support, and had the power of the media to help my story gain traction. I distinctly remember multiple times meeting with Fox5DC and CBS’ local affiliate, WUSA9, with all of us standing out in the cold to cover the story. It was that important.
Ultimately, I wrote multiple emails to the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA)/Department of Transportation (MDOT)and never received a response. But unanswered emails weren’t going to stop me. Through the power of LinkedIn, I reached out to the previous Administrator (now Secretary) of the Maryland SHA/DOT. I messaged him explaining the situation and asked if we could connect. A few messages and emails later, I found myself at MDOT headquarters in Baltimore, meeting with the Adminstrator, SHA3 District Engineer, and the previous Chief Engineer (now Administrator). I came with a binder full of notes, photos, signatures, and ready to not back down until a solution was proposed. After some planning, the four of us came to a solution with both sober and the inevitable drunk drivers in mind. (Of which, I learned that drunk drivers tend to look down at the road instead of straight ahead, so the signs wouldn’t make a difference to them). As a result of our meeting, and 8 months of constant follow up, MDOT/SHA added 2 “Wrong Way” and 2 “Do Not Enter Signs,” reflective poles to clearly distinguish the lines, and painted arrows on the road.
Fast-forward to today, about a year after the safety changes were made. Being the analytical and data-loving person that I am, I felt compelled to pull the crash reports from that intersection. As soon as I finished sifting through the data, my jaw dropped. The reported accidents have declined by about half since the safety measures were implemented!
While I recognize that correlation does not equal causation, it’s a decline worth noting, as it might have saved some lives. I know it’s been a tough year for a lot of us, so I hope this update at the very least makes you smile. And serve as a reminder that you’re only a thought away from making an impact. For more information or ways to get involved to prevent wrong-way driving, email info@marisasway.org.
