ORLANDO, Fla. – About 500 people are killed every year in wrong-way crashes on divided highways, according to AAA, which cites three factors in particular in those types of fatal wrecks. AAA said nationwide research found that 2,008 people were killed in wrong-way crashes on divided highways from 2015 to 2018. “My wife and I were traveling with our 1-year-old son, when we were nearly struck by a wrong-way driver. “Alcohol impairment is, by far, the single most significant factor in the majority of wrong-way driving crashes,” said NTSB Director of the Office of Highway Safety Dr. Meanwhile, AAA says a passenger’s presence may offer some protection against being a wrong-way driver, as nearly 87% of wrong-way drivers were alone.