Oregon law enforcement will participate in a statewide effort aimed at curbing behaviors such as texting, speeding, and proper safety belt use between February 11th to the 28th.
Ninety-nine people in Oregon who lost their lives in vehicle crashes in 2011 were not wearing seat belts. A statewide observation survey in June, 2012 found that 97 percent of Oregon’s motoring public uses safety belts.
That puts the state among the top three in the country for safety belt use. Still, small children are often seen using adult-sized seat belts. Add that to distracted driving and speeding, which occur regularly on our roads, and it’s a recipe for injuries and fatalities that possibly could have been avoided.
“Our goal is to put together as many days in a row as we can with no fatalities,” ODOT Safety Division Administrator Troy E. Costales said.
Twelve people died in crashes in Oregon over the last three years involving an active participant who was reportedly using a cell phone at the time of the crash. Officials say this number could be even higher, because cell phone usage is believed to be under-reported.
For a person traveling at 55 mph, 4.6 seconds of texting is like traveling the entire distance of a football field filled of people while blindfolded.
“Looking down multiple times in a short period of time is obvious to other drivers and to police officers,” Steve Vitolo, ODOT’s Law Enforcement and Judicial Program manager, said. “You’re not fooling anyone.”
In many crashes and legal actions, Vitolo said police are now requesting access to the text time stamps from cell phone companies. If you crash and cause injuries, an investigation could reveal that you were texting.
A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that most drivers do not approve of using cell phones while driving, but the “do as I say, not as I do” attitude remains prevalent, as many of the respondents admitted they practiced those same distracting behaviors.
The Oregon State Police, Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association are all participating in this first of three annual joint efforts sponsored by ODOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Officers will be looking for proper use of safety belts and booster seats, because child safety seats reduce crash fatality risk for infants under one year old by 71 percent and for toddlers aged one to four by 54 percent.
Impaired and distracted drivers will also be targeted, as well as those going above the speed limit.
“The bottom line is that people need to make smart decisions when they get behind the wheel of a car, because the consequences of not following the rules can be tragic,” ODOT Director Matt Garrett said.