By Timothy R. Wilz, Sheriff, Waupaca County

Recently, misinformation has circulated suggesting the only response to wrong-way drivers by the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office has been through public education campaigns. We want to clarify the full scope of our actions and address the national issue of wrong-way driving.

Wrong-way driving is a serious problem across the country, leading to approximately 500 fatalities each year. Studies have shown that wrong-way driving incidents are significantly more likely to occur at night, with around 60% involving impaired drivers.

Locally, wrong-way driving has impacted our community as well. So far in 2024, 34 wrong-way drivers have been reported to Waupaca County Communications Center. 7 of these incidents occurred in adjacent counties. Of the remaining reports, 10 drivers were located. Among the located vehicles, 1 incident resulted in a personal injury crash, 5 drivers were arrested for OWI, 1 driver was elderly, and 4 drivers did not have a valid license and had a language barrier. 1 wrong-way incident was caused by a car-deer crash, resulting in the vehicle crossing into oncoming traffic.

The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office has been actively working to address wrong-way driving for many years. Our ongoing efforts include:

• Collaborative Solutions: We regularly interact with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and their Traffic Safety Engineer, the Waupaca County Highway Traffic Safety Committee, and the Waupaca County Highway commissioner to discuss potential safety improvements such as lighted signs, improved sign angles, improved sign visibility, improved markings on the roadway, cameras, technology, and many other options to deter wrong-way drivers. The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center provides the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Traffic Management Center reports of all wrong-way driving events that occur on the counties’ state and US highways. This information directly assists the Department of Transportation in identifying locations with significant wrong-way driver trends for future upgrades.

• State and National Involvement: In August of 2024 Captain Kyle Wiskirchen of the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office presented at the Governor’s Highway Safety Conference and participated in discussions with traffic engineers from both Wisconsin and Iowa to address wrong-way driving. Captain Wiskirchen is advocating for enhanced statewide reporting practices for wrong-way drivers to better understand the causes of these incidents and develop strategies to prevent the problem.

• Compliance and Road Standards: State engineers have confirmed that all four-lane highways in Waupaca County meet Wisconsin’s highway safety regulations, however the state is working on changing the standards to improve safety on divided highways.

Due to the time required for infrastructure changes, the Sheriff’s Office initiated a “Stay Right at Night” campaign. This campaign encourages drivers to use the right lane during nighttime hours, as most wrong-way incidents occur in the left lane. Many wrong-way drivers mistakenly believe they are on a two-lane road and travel in what they think is the correct lane; however, they are actually in the passing lane of a divided highway. Additionally, being a good defensive driver, remaining alert for oncoming wrong-way drivers, and if you see a wrong-way driver move to the right shoulder to call 911.

We always welcome and seek the public’s opinion on these matters, and we value community feedback. We simply request that information is shared accurately to support informed discussions and effective solutions.

While the responsibility of highway infrastructure falls on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, we have been working hard to use our influence and experiences to advocate for improvements, not only in our county, but all around the state, to protect everyone on our roadways.

Thank you for your attention and support as we continue to address this critical safety issue. The safety of our community is always our top priority.