Transportation Safety Newsletter, February 2023

Oregon Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 02/01/2023 10:55 AM PST

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February 2023

Super Bowl – Make a Plan

Super Bowl fans don't let fans drive drunk. Designate a sober driver.

Each year, the Super Bowl garners millions of viewers, with many taking the opportunity to cheer on their favored team with a night out or by attending a party. If you are planning to be away from home during Super Bowl, make a game plan to ensure you don’t find yourself without a designated driver if you need one.

If you’re hosting a party, make sure you take care of your designated drivers and provide nonalcoholic drinks. If you’re planning to be a designated driver, know that you’re the night’s MVP. Commit to a sober evening – people are relying on you. Remind your friends and family: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Be Mine, Be Safe

Safety conversation hearts: hug me like a seat belt, B safe 4 me, love is driving sober, focus on the road, stay classy

Happy Valentine’s Day! This year, give the gift of road safety. Love your loved ones enough to:

Buckle up: Every person, every seat, every time.
Silence your phone: Calls and texts can wait.
Drive sober: Plan ahead for a safe ride home.
Get enough sleep: Stay alert on the road.
Drive for conditions: Slow down and increase following distance.

Show the love this Valentine’s Day by being courteous and considerate to all road users. Let’s all get home safely to our loved ones.

Seat Belt Safety Campaign

Despite having one of the highest safety belt usage rates in the nation, Oregon still experiences tragedy every year due to lack of belt use. In fact, in 2021, not wearing a safety belt was a major factor in half of Oregon’s traffic deaths. More than a third of children under age eight who were injured in crashes were unrestrained, held on laps, or using adult belt systems rather than child seats.

From January 30 through February 12 law enforcement personnel will be working extra shifts during a statewide seat belt campaign to help ensure motorists and their passengers are properly buckled up. Drive Safely. The Way to Go.

U.S. Traffic Deaths Remain Unacceptably High

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a preliminary estimate finding that 31,785 people died in traffic crashes in the first nine months of 2022, 65 fewer deaths than the same period the year before.

A reduction in roadway fatalities is welcome, but the 0.2% decline announced by NHTSA follows an unprecedented two-year surge in roadway deaths and dangerous driving. Coupled with that is a continued rise in bicyclist and pedestrian deaths, underscoring the urgent need to ensure that road users not in vehicles enjoy the same protections as drivers and their passengers.

Safe Routes to School Projects

In communities around the state, there will soon be new sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, curb ramps, and more to make walking and rolling to school safer, easier and more accessible for all. Commissioners approved 26 Safe Routes to School projects totaling $32.4 million, with a focus on under-resourced neighborhoods: all awardees are Title 1 schools (schools where 40% or more of the student population is low-income).

Comic Book: Moving from Cars to People

Comic book graphic excerpt of people standing on sidewalk looking out at cars on roadway

A new comic book provides a history in illustrated comic book form of how we ended up with a car-centric built environment and how we can work together to transition to a people-centric one. The comic is designed to reach a broader audience to communicate its authors' findings from over a decade of research into contextual trip generation.