Transportation Safety Newsletter, December 2021

Oregon Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 12/01/2021 08:50 AM PST

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December 2021

Holiday Travel

Reindeer and Santa in a red car. Plan for a sober ride home. Buzzed driving is drunk driving. Designate a sober driver.

Stay off Santa’s naughty list: If you’ve been drinking, don’t get behind the wheel. Call a sober friend, ride share, or taxi to get you home safely.

A person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in 2019. Please, never get behind the wheel after drinking.

Like drunk driving, drugged driving is impaired driving, which means that it is dangerous and illegal. Whether the drug is obtained legally or illegally, driving while drug-impaired poses a threat to the driver, vehicle passengers, and to other road users.

Keep the holidays merry and bright, and drive safely and sober this holiday season!

Child Passenger Safety

A new resource is available for people who transport kids in cars. The new flyer has car seat recommendations for children, Oregon law, and best practice tips. The flyer is available in 10 languages:

English | Chukkese | Nepali |

Romanian | Russian | Simplified Chinese |

Somali | Spanish | Ukrainian | Vietnamese

Traffic Sign: State law - move over or slow down for vehicles stopped for emergency

Move Over Law

Oregon's 'Move Over' law is being emphasized after an ODOT employee was struck by a vehicle while on the shoulder of I-205 and another tow-truck driver was killed on I-5 near Roseburg. Oregon’s Move Over law says drivers must move to a non-adjacent lane if a vehicle is on the side of the road and indicating distress. If you can safely move over when approaching a vehicle stopped for an emergency, do so. If you can't, slow down by at least five miles per hour below the posted speed.

Older Driver Safety Awareness Week

The first week in December is Older Driver Safety Awareness Week. With age comes wisdom. But the older we get, the more conditions arise that may affect our ability to drive safely. Whether it’s you, a loved one, or someone in your care, it’s important to keep track of changes, including vision, medications, physical limitations, and reaction time.

Everyone is different, but there are some signs to look for and guidelines to keep. Having these discussions and making these decisions can be difficult, but they also keep people – including the people we care about most – safe.

Winter Driving

Oregon's beautiful scenery is a year-round source of enjoyment. Driving in Oregon's winters, however, can be challenging! Follow the recommendations in the Oregon Winter Driving Guide so you arrive safely at your destination.

Staff shortages are expected this winter that may impact winter operations. Both ODOT and WSDOT are asking drivers to be patient with them in case their road crews cannot respond to every incident this winter. Leaders are also reminding drivers to slow down, keep your distance, make sure your car has working wipers and headlights, and check Oregon’s road conditions and weather forecasts at www.TripCheck.com before you leave, or call 5-1-1 for valuable travel information.

YouTube video: Driver Ed - A Rite of Passage

Driver Ed: The Way to Go

Give your teen a reason to celebrate – no drive test at the DMV! And ODOT-approved driver ed is the best way for teens to learn safe driving habits. Times may have changed, but a few things have stayed the same. Like the fact that teens who take driver ed have a 21% lower crash rate than those who don’t. ODOT-approved driver education courses are up and running to help teenagers safely learn the rules of the road. Stress less. Save more. And let the pros handle it.

Transportation Options handing out safety vests and sashes to be visible and safe at night

Be Safe, Be Seen!

Oregon's Transportation Options program is helping vulnerable community members improve their visibility - especially important this time of year as it becomes darker earlier in the evening. The Portland Bureau of Transportation handed out safety vests and sashes, donated by ODOT's Transportation Options program.

Traffic pavement marking yellow centerline

ODOT to Receive Over $1 Billion in Transportation Funding

ODOT will receive over $1 billion dollars in additional transportation funding as part of the federal infrastructure package.

The money will go toward projects around the state that will benefit drivers, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians, help maintain roads and bridges, and address climate change.

Vehicle Safety Issue?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to hear from you! Part of keeping everyone safe on the road is identifying safety-related defects in vehicles and equipment, promoting awareness of these safety defects, and urging vehicle owners to repair open recalls. Let NHTSA know if your vehicle has a safety defect and check for vehicle safety recalls.