What to do if there’s a car going the wrong way on the motorway?

That said, we’re all too well aware of recent high-profile incidents on Ireland’s motorways, involving cars being deliberately aimed the wrong way by those engaged in criminal activity, either to shake off a pursuing Garda or simply to post videos to social media.

What can you do if this happens?

There’s a broader societal response needed to such incidents, not to mention potential new tactics in such situations by the Gardaí, but as far as the average motorist is concerned, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has issued a new document offering advice on what to do if confronted with a car coming towards you against the flow of motorway traffic. 

Aren’t motorways the safest roads?

Yes, that’s true. While cruising speeds on motorways can be high, the fact is that — 99.9 per cent of the time — the traffic is all flowing in the same direction, at similar speeds, and with junctions that flow on and off the road, rather than requiring cars to join or leave the road at low speeds.

However, that flow of traffic can become monotonous, and that in itself represents a danger as it can allow a driver’s mind to wander.

So, the first piece of advice from the RSA is to try and maintain your concentration and observation, and to look as far up the road as possible so that you can see if any incidents are developing long before you reach them.

If you’re unsure about what’s happening, the best advice is to reduce speed and therefore reduce the closing speed between you and any developing incident.

According to the RSA, an average of 77 wrong-way driving incidents were recorded on Ireland’s roads each year, from 2021 to 2025.

What if you encounter a car going the wrong way?

That, obviously, is a specific and terrifying scenario. Most likely, it would happen late at night or in the early hours of the morning, when your reaction times are potentially at their slowest, which exacerbates the problem.

The RSA says that the first thing to do is to try and remain calm, and to avoid any sudden or violent manoeuvres, but equally to try and create as much space between you and the oncoming vehicle as possible.

If, hopefully, the car passes you without incident, the best advice is then to keep going and exit the motorway at the earliest opportunity so that you can stop your car and report the incident to the Gardaí. You can then continue with your journey if it’s safe to do so. 

What if you are the one who has made a mistake and are going the wrong way?

The advice from the RSA in this case is to just pull in to the hard shoulder and stop the car. Do not attempt to turn around or reverse, as this may simply make the situation worse.

If it’s safe to do so, get out of the car and stand behind the crash barrier, and then contact the Gardaí to inform them of the incident and to ask for assistance.

The RSA reminds people that, should you miss your motorway exit (or if you come across a toll booth that you weren’t expecting) you should never attempt to U-turn nor reverse on the motorway.

Just continue to the next available exit and safely rejoin the motorway on the opposite carriageway.

Are we really that bad at dealing with motorways?

No, not really. The highly publicised incidents involving stolen cars are an issue in and of themselves, but in general Irish motorways are safe roads.

However, there has been a call to include motorway driving as part of the general driving instruction and licensing process. As things stand, learner drivers are not allowed to drive on motorways but, given how motorways have effectively replaced some main roads in parts of the country, that’s certainly not convenient, and it leaves learner drivers short of crucial skills.

The RSA’s chief operations officer, Brendan Walsh, told the Oireachtas transport committee this week that he feels motorway driving should become part of the curriculum for learner drivers in Ireland, and that the RSA was working with the Department of Transport on a plan for how to work it into driver training programmes.