The first six months after obtaining a driver license tend to be the most dangerous for teenage drivers across the nation, but Oregon's graduated driver licensing program has improved safety since it started in 2000. Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds.

A national study shows teens who take formal driver training in Oregon have much lower crash rates. Yet only about a third of eligible Oregonians actually sign up for driving classes, saying they don't have the time, money, or easy access to them. Oregon teens who took an approved ODOT driver education course have fewer crashes, traffic convictions, and suspensions. Find an ODOT-approved driver education course near you.

Drivers can use the free, user-friendly Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Look-Up Tool, located at NHTSA.gov/recalls to check for open safety recalls on their vehicles or automotive equipment, such as tires and car seats. Checking for recalls is quick and easy. The best part? All repairs are free. Get those open safety recalls repaired for free as soon as possible. Your diligence will help keep you and others safe on the roadways.

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® on March 20–26 is an annual, week-long, health observance that inspires dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. It was launched at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to stimulate educational events in communities so teens can learn what science has taught us about drug use and addiction. Get activity ideas for teens, parents, caregivers, and teachers.​

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It’s never too early to start teaching kids about vehicle safety. Keeping children safe extends beyond car seats and booster seats. Children should always be supervised when inside a vehicle and never left alone. Teach your child that the car is not a playground and to keep away from the area around your vehicles.

Always walk all the way around your car before getting in. Children behind a car can be hard to see from the driver’s seat and can easily be hidden in the blind spots (the area behind the car not visible to the driver, even with mirrors and backup cameras). A walk-around lets you make sure no children are playing behind the car or in front of it. Kids are always watching – even when you think they’re not – so remember to set a good example.

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Drivers in the United States struck and killed 3,434 people in the first half of 2022 – up 5%, or 168 more deaths, from the same period the year before, according to a new analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Dangerous driving, inadequate infrastructure, and larger vehicles lead to deadly conditions for people walking, with one death every 75 minutes.

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Did you know in Oregon drivers are not permitted to drive in the bike lane? Instead, when making a right turn, drivers are required to yield to any cyclists while turning across the bike lane. What if there is a queue of vehicles waiting at a traffic light? There is no exception allowing vehicle drivers to pass on the right and a driver could be charged with unsafe passing on the right (a Class B traffic violation). Oregon law only allows a car to operate on a bicycle lane while making a turn, not while preparing to make a turn. And also remember, you cannot park any motorized vehicle on a bike path or lane.

The Annual Transportation Safety Conference and input session is returning on March 14-15 at the Spirit Mountain Conference Center in Grand Ronde. There will be multiple workshops that address traffic safety problems and potential strategies to combat them from the perspectives of engineering, enforcement, and education.