Wrong Way is a preventative feature in all Burnout games up until Paradise, to stop players from traveling in the wrong direction during events. It appears as a textual warning shown on the player's screen when their vehicle is travelling in the wrong direction during an event. In addition to this warning, when driving in the wrong direction for too long a time, a large, translucent red 'wall' will block the road, to prevent further travel in the wrong direction. The wall cannot be passed through by the player (the player's car simply bounces off of it), though traffic cars and rival cars can pass through it in the same fashion as traffic cars are able to pass through the large chevrons that direct the player in the correct direction at road intersections. It appears in all Burnout games up until Burnout Paradise, as in Paradise, this feature would defeat the point of the free roaming element of the game.

Use in the Burnout Series, pre-ParadiseEdit

If the player drives in the wrong direction for too long, the words "Wrong Way" appears on the player's screen and a huge red wall will appear a few yards ahead and will bounce the player off, as described above.

Use in Burnout ParadiseEdit

There is no Wrong Way in Burnout Paradise as the gameplay has been designed so that the player must find their own way through the city. Wrong Way does not appear in Stunt Run or Road Rage but appears in a different form in Race, Marked Man, Burning Route, Online Road Rage & Online Cops and Robbers as a red arrow on the player's compass. The red arrow only appears to show that the player is heading in the opposite direction away from the finish/target point.

Use in the Burnout Series, post-ParadiseEdit

The red wall also appeared in the first Burnout game after Paradise, Burnout CRASH!. When a car gets to the edge of the intersection, the wall causes it to bounce back, refraining from leaving the junction.