ODOT adding no-passing zones ahead of higher speeds

Oregon Department of Transportation crews were out on Highway 20 east of Bend Thursday morning, laying out the groundwork for higher speed limits.

Earlier this year, lawmakers voted to increase speeds from 55 mph to 65 mph on rural highways in Central and Eastern Oregon. The new law will go into effect in March.

But it’s not as simple as replacing signs.

“What we’re doing is shortening the passing zones in some cases, or eliminating them altogether more often than not,” ODOT spokesman Peter Murphy said.

That’s because the department said higher speeds mean it will take longer to pass traffic. When drivers move faster, they need to see ahead farther.

Traffic experts are bracing for what could be a major impact.

“What we’re concerned about is the safety factor,” Murphy said. “We know that crashes are generally up already.”

In August, NewsChannel 21 reported fatal crashes in Central Oregon are up 64 percent for the year. ODOT data showed there have been 23 fatalities in Central Oregon so far, compared to 14 in all of 2014.

A 10 mph speed increase might not seem like much, but it can be a matter of life or death according to Murphy.

“The energy from that crash increases exponentially,” Murphy said. “So the impact will be more serious.”

“We hope people notice the change, so that the habit of passing where you’re supposed to will change as well,” Murphy added.