It’s National Passenger Safety Week: Speaking up can help save lives on Central Oregon roads
(Update: adding video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The phrase “backseat driver” usually gets a bad rap — but safety advocates are giving it a new, potentially life-saving meaning this week.
The National Road Safety Foundation is leading National Passenger Safety Week, January 19th-26th, aiming to empower passengers to speak up when they notice unsafe driving behavior such as speeding or distractions behind the wheel.
“What the driver can't see, the passenger can see,” Michelle Anderson, director of operations for the NRSF, told KTVZ News. “We need to empower passengers, because this may be the very thing to help lower the deaths that are on our roadways.”
Crash fatalities remain a growing concern nationwide, including here, where 539 people lost their lives on Oregon's roads in 2024. Teen drivers are among those most at risk: Drivers ages 16-19 are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than adults.
“Teen drivers are inexperienced, yet they are behind the wheel,” Anderson said. “They often allow more than one other passenger in their vehicle — they (passengers) also have the right to say something.”
Still, speaking up isn’t always easy, especially when the driver is a friend. That’s why the NRSF offers suggestions to help passengers find their voice in uncomfortable moments.
You might tell the driver you’re not feeling well and ask to pull over, or casually mention you heard police are in the area — anything that diffuses the situation before it turns dangerous.
“You may be a passenger, but you have power,” Anderson said. “You have authority, and you have to utilize it. It can certainly help save the lives of those in the vehicle, as well as the driver.”
Organizers hope National Passenger Safety Week sparks conversations beyond the campaign — starting at home, with friends, and long before anyone gets behind the wheel.
