Transportation Safety Newsletter, January 2019

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

January 2019

Are Medications Affecting Your Driving?

Warning: May cause DUII. Read the label. Talk to your pharmacist. Drive sober.

You already know that alcohol and marijuana can impair your driving skills. Did you know that many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications may affect your driving? You might be surprised by all the potential side effects such as changes in your judgement, vision, drowsiness, or ability to pay attention – all things that are extremely important to driving.

Mixing substances has an even higher risk. If you blow lower than .08 BAC and test positive for drugs, you can still be arrested, convicted of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), and lose your license for at least 90 days. AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s Roadwise RX is a great free tool to check side effects and drug interactions that may affect your driving.

Remember: Check with your doctor about any side effects that may affect your driving whenever you start a new medication.

Read More

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®

During January 22-27, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week is a health observance week for teens that aims to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about drug and alcohol use. This event aims to link students with scientists to counteract the myths about drugs and alcohol that teens get from the Internet, social media, TV, movies, music, or from friends. It was launched by scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in partnership with The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Learn how you can get involved or plan an event in your school.

Read More

Motorcycle

Motorcycle Crash Causes

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has released a new report that analyzes the causes of motorcycle crashes. In about 94% of the crashes analyzed, human error (either by the motorcyclist or the motorist) was the primary contributing factor to the crash.

The most common types of crashes involved a motorist turning left in front of a motorcyclist, a motorcyclist falling on the roadway while attempting a collision avoidance maneuver, or a motorcyclist that ran off the road with no other vehicle involvement.

Read More

Vehicle headlight

Adaptive-Driving Beam Headlights

A new proposal could change vehicle technology standards for headlights in the U.S. The technology is currently being used in other countries, but federal rules limit U.S. headlights to require a distinct high- and low-beam pattern. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Headlights with an adaptive-driving beam are similar to high-beam assist. However, instead of switching the high beams on and off, they continuously adjust the high-beam pattern to create a shadow around other vehicles, based on input from a forward-looking camera. The result is high-beam visibility without the glare for oncoming or lead drivers.” One of the benefits to this new technology would be to help drivers see pedestrians sooner and slow down.

Read More


Resources

Tripcheck logo

Contact us at ODOT Safety Division

Order free safety brochures, posters, and more

Oregon crash data

National traffic safety information

Oregon Impact newsletter

Transportation safety newsletter archives

 

Plan your trip: road conditions and travel information 24/7: www.TripCheck.com or dial 511.