ODOT, OSP partner for Spring Break safety advice

Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Transportation are teaming up to keep Spring Break travelers safe on Oregon’s roads this year.

Together, they want to help you make this a safe and memorable travel time. Travel safety involves taking responsibility for your own behaviors, as well as watching out for one another.

It also means:

* Observing the rules of the road.
* Seeing and being seen.
* Focusing on the task at hand so you can make smart choices while being aware of what others on the road are doing.

First: Obey the Rules of the Road.
So how do we keep our roads safe? For starters, we focus our efforts on the things that contribute most to serious injury or fatal crashes. Last year during Spring Break ( March 23 -29), OSP troopers made over 2,700 stops for violations of our Fatal-5 traffic enforcement priorities.

The Fatal-5 includes Speed, Occupant Safety, Lane Safety, Impaired Driving and Distracted Driving, or S.O.L.I.D. OSP Superintendent Rich Evans puts it this way, “This kind of driving behavior creates the biggest risk to people’s safety on our roadways. Focusing on them makes the biggest impact on traffic safety.”

So, you might think, “I get it – those are serious.” But then you might also think, “How about cell phones? Are you serious about them now?” And the answer is “Yes.” If you get stopped for talking/texting while driving, you will get a ticket. Phone In One Hand. Ticket in the Other.

Second – “See and Be Seen.”
Whether you are driving, riding, walking, motorcycling, skateboarding – whatever your mode – be on the lookout for others, and make it easier for everyone else to see you, too. Yes, you may be following the rules, but in most interactions between a car and a pedestrian, the pedestrian loses. Same with a bicyclist. Be alert, be considerate – see and be seen.

Then – Being Travel Smart:
The state of Oregon is a fantastic place to spend spring break, with our natural beauty, fun cities and towns, and everything in between. Here are some smart tips to keep those experiences enjoyable:

* www.tripcheck.com Always start with a quick check of road conditions/hazards/delays.
* Equipment – double check tire pressure, oil levels and fluids before you venture out so you don’t end up a hazard yourself.
* Make time for pit stops – a safety rest area can educate/refresh and inspire a great vacation.
* Don’t forget the common sense – OSP Sergeant Dave Aydelotte of the Gold Beach Office reminds us car clouting thieves will always take advantage of an easy opportunity – conceal the valuables.

Over past five years, Oregon has averaged seven fatalities and 25 major injuries during the week of Spring Break (includes two weekends), and the most common kinds of crashes where “fixed/other object” (where a vehicle goes off the road and hits something) and “head-on.” Four of the 36 total fatalities that occurred over the past five Spring Breaks were pedestrians.

Be Safe and Travel Smart.
From the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon State Police.