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Oregon State Police News Releases

Again This Holiday Season - Travel Smart, Travel Safe, Travel Sober
12/19/2007
Lieutenant Gregg Hastings
Public Information Officer
Office: (503) 731-3020 ext. 247

Links to "Oregon Winter Driving Guide" and NHTSA fact sheet valid for 30 days
http://www.flashnews.net/images/news/Winter%20Driving%20Guide,pdf
http://www.flashnews.net/images/news/FactSheet_Enf%5B1%5D.doc
 
On the heels of two recent successful interagency impaired driving enforcement efforts, State, county and local police agencies are extending the enforcement crackdown through the holiday season. At a time when millions of motorists around the country will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Christmas-New Years holiday period, the increased enforcement aims to reduce traffic crashes and help motorists reach their destinations safely.
 
"Impaired driving represents a deadly disregard for human life. Too many people suffer tragic injuries and the loss of a loved one as a result of driving under the influence of an intoxicant," said Lieutenant Glenn Chastain of the Oregon State Police (OSP) Patrol Services Division.
 
According to ODOT, alcohol has been a factor in 41 percent of Oregon traffic deaths around the Christmas and New Year's holiday periods during the last ten years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in December 2006, 1076 people were killed in crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher – above the legal limit in every state as well as the District of Columbia.
 
Since 1981, every President of the United States has demonstrated the commitment to the prevention of impaired driving by proclaiming December as National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Increased impaired driving enforcement efforts nationally and locally kicked into gear Thanksgiving and will continue through the New Years holiday.
 
Nationwide, extra patrols will be on highways this weekend as part of "Operation C.A.R.E. Life Saver Weekend" when many people are expected to travel to their holiday destinations. The "Life Saver Weekend" enforcement starts Friday, December 21st, at 12:01 a.m. and runs through Sunday, December 23rd, at 11:59 p.m.
 
The payoff of enhanced DUII enforcement patrols was illustrated by two recent efforts in Klamath and Douglas counties:
  • Over Thanksgiving weekend a two-night impaired driving interagency enforcement effort in Klamath County reported 27 DUII arrests and no reported DUII-related crashes in the area.
  • On December 15th, State, county and local Douglas County-area law enforcement agencies and ODOT banded together for a DUII awareness event attended by hundreds of local residents. The awareness event was followed by an interagency DUII enhanced enforcement effort resulting in 16 DUII arrests overnight.
 
Last year, four people died in two separate fatal traffic crashes during the 78-hour Christmas holiday period between Friday evening, December 22nd, and Monday night, December 25th. Three people died during the 2005 Christmas holiday period, and according to ODOT's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) statistics an average of 4 fatalities happened in this holiday period during the last ten years.
 
With another anticipated jump in the number of people traveling along our highways through the New Year's holiday, drivers will face challenges associated with more traffic and winter-related road conditions. The Governor's Transportation/Tourism Task Force recently announced a new publication, the "Oregon Winter Driving Guide", to help motorists safely navigate the roads this winter.
 
The "Oregon Winter Driving Guide" contains information on Oregon's laws that govern use of tire chains, tips for driving in icy or snowy conditions, and a checklist of equipment for roadside emergencies. The free guide is available at visitor information centers and convention bureaus, welcome centers and information kiosks, Les Schwab Tire Centers, Department of Transportation offices, and from members of the Oregon Lodging Association. The guide is also available online at tripcheck.com, traveloregon.com, oregontic.com, and oregonlodging.com. A link is also available on the Oregon State Police web site.
 
OSP and ODOT recommend the following travel safety tips to help get you safely to your destination:

  • Expect the unexpected. Be informed and prepared when traveling on any of our highways.
  • When traveling anywhere, plan ahead and take known routes if possible. Our weather has been changing quickly and sometimes without warning. For road conditions in Oregon, call 5-1-1 or (800) 977-ODOT (6368). Outside Oregon, dial (503) 588-2941. Visiting TripCheck.com on the Internet provides information on road and weather conditions, incidents and traffic delays, and links to numerous cameras on many mountain passes and major routes.
  • Take the time to keep up on current and future weather conditions in the area you are traveling, especially if going to or through higher elevations and mountain passes, areas where your vehicle needs to have appropriate traction tires or devices.
  • If considering a remote route that you have never traveled on, don't hesitate to contact available road and weather condition phone numbers or Internet resources, or contact police or highway department officials.
  • Prepare an emergency kit to place in your car for longer trips and keep track of how much fuel is in your tank, especially if traveling unfamiliar routes or into remote locations.
  • Let friends and family know what routes you plan to take when on a trip, keeping them updated and letting them know if these plans change.
  • Drive to the conditions. If it's icy or wet, increase your following distance and reduce your speed. Use your headlights to improve not only your visibility, but also so others can see your vehicle.
  • In bad weather, don't use cruise control.

 
For those who may mix holiday celebrations with alcohol, OSP and ODOT recommend the following tips to help make your journey safer:

  • Don't drink and drive, and don't ride with anyone who has had too much to drink.
  • Volunteer to be a designated driver.
  • If you see someone you know who has had too much to drink to drive, take his or her keys.
  • If hosting a gathering, provide non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Use public transit or local drive-home services provided by taxis and other companies.
  • Always use safety restraints.
  • Report any suspected impaired driving by calling 1-800-24DRUNK (800-243-7865) or
          9-1-1.
 
For the safety of emergency responders working, remember Oregon is one of several states to have a "Move Over Law". It states that if you are driving up behind any type of police car or emergency vehicle pulled over on the roadside with emergency lights flashing, you must:
  • Move over into another lane.
  • If you can't safely change lanes, slow down.
  • In all cases, the driver must try to provide as much as possible for the emergency vehicle.
 
For more information about the national effort to battle impaired driving, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.
 
 
Page updated: December 19, 2007

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