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Thick fog is a common winter driving hazard, and turning on your
fog or auxiliary lights can help increase visibility. However, driving towards
a car with both headlights and fog (or auxiliary) lights on can be blinding. Front
fog lights are generally aimed and mounted low to increase the illumination
directed towards the road surface. In low visibility situations, fog lights
should be used like bright lights - turned off when you are approaching traffic
- and be especially watchful for bicyclists and pedestrians. More info
The report, titled ‘The
battle for attention’, focuses on the dangers involved when drivers try and engage in more than one
task at one time. According to the report, “Research has confirmed that tasks
almost always interfere with other tasks carried out at the same time. The
brain never actually focuses on two tasks at the same time; it switches back
and forward between them. As driving is so complex and requires various
cognitive processes, taking on another task when driving can mean a driver is
unable to pay sufficient attention to all the activities required for safe
driving.”
For those who think they can do two things at once, think about
this: According to a separate study by Carnegie Mellon, driving while using a
cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37
percent. Can you really afford to lose that much brainpower? Driving is an activity that requires your
full attention and focus in order to keep yourself and others safe. So please
remember: One text or call could wreck it all.
New public service announcement videos are available to use or share with your partners to help prevent distracted driving crashes in Oregon.
The Governors Highway Safety Association has released a report
(PDF 3MB) that examines adults—other than teen drivers’ parents—who may be able to influence
teen decision-making about driving. They say it takes a village to raise a
child. Perhaps the same can be said for helping teens survive their most
dangerous driving years. We encourage you to share your expertise and
experiences with our most at-risk drivers and become a teen safe driving
champion! More
Due to the increase in impaired driving related fatalities around
the holidays each year, law enforcement agencies across Oregon will be actively
searching for and arresting impaired drivers. If you plan on drinking at the
holiday party or at a restaurant, hand the keys over to someone else – a sober
friend, a taxi or public transportation.
If you’re caught drinking and driving
you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and
other DUII expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. That’s not a small price, and
that doesn’t even count the heftier price you could pay: the price of your life
or someone else’s. Some people think that if they get pulled over for driving
drunk, they can just refuse a breath test to avoid the DUII charge. Not true. Refusing
a breath test means an automatic arrest and the loss of your driver’s license
on the spot.
Follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:
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Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash.
- If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
- If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
Remember, driving after drinking should never be an option. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
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