Photo: Mike Bird / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
If you meet a vehicle coming the wrong way on an Irish motorway, the RSA’s emergency advice is: stay calm, avoid sudden manoeuvres, make as much space as you can, then leave the motorway safely and call Gardai on 999 or 112. If you are the one going the wrong way, pull onto the hard shoulder immediately and stop. Do not turn round. This guide is for new drivers in Ireland; learner permit holders cannot use motorways.
If a vehicle is coming towards you
- Stay calm and keep control. No sudden braking or swerving across lanes.
- Create space. Ease off and move away from the oncoming vehicle’s path when it is safe to do so. Do not assume moving left is always right: if the wrong-way vehicle is on the hard shoulder or in the left lane, the safe space may be in another lane.
- Leave the motorway safely at the next exit or services once the immediate danger has passed.
- Call Gardai on 999 or 112 from a safe place. Give the motorway, your direction of travel, roughly where the vehicle was, and a description if you saw one.
Do not stop on the hard shoulder or in a live lane to make the call, and do not follow the vehicle.
If you realise you are driving the wrong way
- Pull onto the hard shoulder immediately and stop. Switch on your hazard lights.
- Do not turn round, reverse or keep driving against the traffic to try to fix it.
- If it is safe to get out, leave the car on the side away from traffic and wait behind the crash barrier with your passengers.
- If it is not safe to get out, stay in the car with your seat belt on and hazard lights on.
- Call Gardai on 999 or 112 and follow their instructions.
How wrong-way driving starts, and how to avoid it
| Situation | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| You miss your exit | Carry on to the next exit and come back on the other carriageway. Never reverse or turn on a motorway. |
| Joining at night or in poor weather | Slow down and read every sign at the junction before you commit to a slip road. |
| Following a sat nav blindly | Signs and road markings take priority over the sat nav. |
| Leaving services or a rest area | Follow the signs for the motorway in your direction of travel. |
Near exits and slip roads, look well ahead: a wrong-way vehicle can appear where traffic would normally leave.
Why learners cannot be in this situation
Learner permit holders are not allowed on Irish motorways. Your first motorway drives come after you pass, on N plates. Before then, read motorways and tunnels in Ireland and after you pass in Ireland.
Common questions
Should I flash my lights at a wrong-way driver?
The RSA advice centres on keeping control, making space and reporting. Do not do anything that takes your attention or control away from your own car.
What number do I call?
999 or 112. Both reach the emergency services, including Gardai.
Is it an offence to reverse on a motorway?
Yes. Reversing and U turns are not allowed on a motorway. See reversing and U turns in Ireland.
What if my car breaks down after stopping?
Follow the motorway breakdown steps in breaking down on an Irish motorway.
Do Gardai or the emergency services ever tell you to drive against the traffic?
Only follow direct instructions from a Garda at the scene. See Garda signals and emergency vehicles.
Related: N plates in Ireland and speed limits in Ireland. Back to learning to drive in Ireland.
Sources
- Road Safety Authority, “Emergency advice: encountering a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction” (rsa.ie)
- Road Safety Authority, “Motorway safety” (rsa.ie)
- Road Safety Authority, “Rules of the Road”, Section 11 Motorways and tunnels (Revision 5, hosted on garda.ie)