| Safe and Courteous Driving |
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| Program Manager |
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Walter McAllister
Phone Number: 503 986-4201
FAX: 503 986-3143
ODOT - Transportation Safety Division
235 Union Street NE
Salem, OR 97301-1054
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| Program Introduction |
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There are lots of things you can do to be a safer, more courteous driver. The Transportation Safety Division has set up special programs to address the most significant causes of crashes – for example we dedicate resources to encouraging people to use safety belts, or other occupant restraint systems. We also dedicate significant effort to reducing the toll of driving under the influence of intoxicants as well.
In addition to these established transportation safety issues, there are several issues that we refer to as emerging – either due to new technology, or increasing recognition of the problem due to changes in the state of driving in Oregon.
Below you will find a bit of information about these topics, along with selected links to agencies and organizations that are trying to make a difference with these problems.
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| Following Distance |
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Everyone should know that safe following distance is an important consideration for safe motor vehicle operation. Even though following distance related crashes aren’t a leading cause of death, they do exact a toll in injury and property damage. The issues around following distance receive infrequent attention in the media, perhaps due to seemingly everyday nature of this type of crash. This overlooked issue is significant nonetheless. Rear end collisions are a major source of property damage claims every year. There’s some dispute about what constitutes a safe following distance. One measure is to identify a fixed point along the roadway, such as a pole or sign. To determine the timing for your following distance, note when the vehicle ahead passes the object, then start counting “one thousand one, one thousand two,” and so on until the front of your vehicle is even with the object. You should have been able, at minimum to get to one thousand two. We at safety would like to see you get to one thousand four, to allow that extra cushion of space.
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| Cell Phone Laws |
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-Cell Phone Ad (PDF)
- Cell Phone Flyer (PDF)
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| Red Light Running |
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Red light running is a significant cause of serious injury in Oregon. Importantly, red light running is also a significant cause of debilitating brain injury, and death. It is essential that every driver in Oregon heed the warning to stop on Red. To address this serious problem, many communities have asked for, and received permission from the Oregon legislature to place special camera equipment at the worst of the worst intersections in the state.
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| Lights and Swipes |
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The Oregon legislature felt so strongly about the need to raise citizen awareness of the need for using your headlights in inclement or low visibility weather that they passed a special law requiring an awareness campaign. As you might guess, headlights help your vehicle to be seen more easily. While there is some quibbling about exactly how much, major studies show that using your lights during the day, especially in bad weather, helps you to be seen a LOT. These findings have been confirmed by the Canadian experience with daytime running lights. Won’t you take two seconds to turn on your headlights when you need your windshield wipers?
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| Drowsy Driving |
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Sadly, every year Oregon loses citizens to suspected or confirmed incidences of drivers falling asleep at the wheel. Sometimes the loss of life is only to the driver. All too often the loss of life is to a child passenger, or passing motorist who had the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The key to preventing these unnecessary collisions
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| Distracted Driving |
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Driven to Distraction: Distracted driving is a driving problem that Oregon has been working on for many years. We've aired radio and television messages, outdoor ads, and more to try and raise awareness of the problems associated with distraction.
Shortcut to: http://www.distraction.gov/
Watch a video about Teen Distracted Driving, provided by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.
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