How the ‘moth effect’ imperils those on the freeway: Roadshow

And: What's the safest lane to drive in late at night?

Q: There have been several horrible head-on collisions on Bay Area freeways recently that involved wrong-way drivers.

I encountered this situation when merging onto Interstate 80 at I-780. As I merged into the right lane, I noted headlights that appeared coming at me, quite far down the freeway. Traffic was light. It was barely daylight.

I stayed in the slow lane with eyes glued to the oncoming lights and luckily avoided a catastrophe. I remember seeing a goofy, smiling, man in a pickup cruising the wrong way down I-80 in the fast lane.

I later learned he caused a fatal accident near Richmond that morning.

Is there any advice for people in such a situation, assuming they have time to try and avoid a collision?

Carolyn Hand, Thankful to be alive

A: Oh yes, and I also need to tell readers what to do if you are a Good Samaritan trying to help an injured motorist.

First, many wrong-way drivers take the lane farthest to their right (the fast lane) because they think it is the slow lane. They most likely realize they are impaired, and they don’t want to get pulled over for speeding.

So stay away from the fast lane, and stay away from the slow lane, too. It is much safer to travel in the middle lanes of the freeway at night because there is more room to maneuver.

Now, onto a recent tragedy. A week ago, a Good Samaritan was killed moments after pulling over around 2 a.m. to help drivers in a three-car pileup on Highway 101 in San Mateo.

Jose Aguilar, 31, from South San Francisco, was driving south on 101 when he came upon the collision. He pulled up behind one of the cars to check on the three drivers, and turned on his hazard lights before getting out of the car.

As Aguilar headed on foot toward the other drivers, a vehicle struck him from behind and then drove off. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

I admire Aguilar trying to help the injured motorist. Truly heroic. But the side of a freeway is a very dangerous location. CHP officers describe “the moth effect,” where drivers inadvertently steer toward a stopped car or a person standing nearby. Their eyes become fixated on the activity on the side of the road, and they move toward it, without realizing it.

If you witness a crash, turn on your flashing lights, stop beyond the disabled vehicles, stay inside your car with your seat belt fastened, and dial 911. That may be the fastest way to get help for the other drivers.

Plus, the life you save, while trying to help others, may be your own.

Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat at noon Wednesday at www.mercurynews.com/live-chats. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.