#DriveHealthy: April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month

Oregon Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 03/30/2018 05:49 PM PDT

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#DriveHealthy: April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month

 

And the week of April 9-13 is National Work Zone Safety Awareness week

 

Startling statistics* (distracted driving): On average, in Oregon…

  • A distracted driver causes a crash every 2.5 hours—almost 10 crashes each day.
  • Distracted driving causes one in every 12 serious injury crashes in Oregon.

 

Startling statistics* (work zones): On average, in Oregon…

  • A work zone crash occurs every 17 hours.
  • An inattentive (distracted!) driver is the most common cause of work zone crashes.
  • Four out of five work zone fatalities are drivers and their passengers.
  • Fines double 24/7. Workers or not.

 

Help us mark the month of April and the week of April 9:

  • Think about your one and only job when you’re behind the wheel: driving. #DriveHealthy: Hands on the wheel, mind on the road. Put your phone in the glove compartment or hand it to a passenger.

 

  • When you’re a passenger, don’t let your driver drive distracted. Ask for their phone—you can answer, instead. Or put it in the glove compartment!

 

  • Pay attention all the time you’re driving, but especially when you see orange signs, barrels, cones and barricades. Stay alert in work zones.

 

Dates to note:

  • April 1-30: National Distracted Driving month. Social media hashtag: #JustDrive (national campaign), #DriveHealthy (ODOT program)

 

  • April 9-13: National Work Zone Safety Awareness week. Hashtags: #WorkZone, #NWZAW, #EverybodysResponsibility (And Oregon will also mark work zone safety awareness for the entire month of May.)

 

  • Wednesday April 11: Go Orange day, the day to wear orange as a reminder: Orange is your clue! Pay attention when you see orange signs, barrels, cones or barricades. Post an orange selfie! Hashtags: #GoOrange, #Orange4Safety

 

  • Thursday April 12, 11:00 a.m.: Press conference at Portland International Raceway with several distracted driving race courses for reporters to experience firsthand. More on this in a media advisory later—save the date!

 

Posters/graphics links:

Just Drive (National Distracted Driving Awareness month)

Everybody’s Responsibility (National Work Zone Safety Awareness week)

DriveHealthy (ODOT’s distracted driving awareness program)

 

* Statistics based on crash data from the five years 2012-2016 inclusive