OSP on higher highway speed limits: So far, so good

One month into higher speed limits on sections of rural Oregon highways, including Highway 97 north of Bend and Highway 20 east of Bend, State Police said they have not seen a large increase in violations or crashes so far.

OSP Lt. Bill Fugate said Tuesday during a ride-along with NewsChannel 21 that for the most part, drivers are compliant with the new change and there doesn’t seem to be increased tickets or crashes.

The former “basic rule” speed of 55 mph rose to a set speed limit of 65 mph.

However, Fugate said the public should be aware the exact locations these increased limits are. There have been a few people pulled over off Highway 20 west of Bend who thought the speed limit had changed there as well.

One factor that Fugate says drivers should know: The 65 mph speed limit is firmer than the former basic rule, though it will still be up to officers’ discretion based on the circumstances encountered.

Passing lanes or passing cars are part of those exceptions, but doing so safely. During the ride-along, a female driver passed legally, but eventually hit a stretch of road with a double line — an illegal passing zone. Fugate pulled the driver over and cited her for crossing that a double line in an unsafe area.

“She’s passing a larger vehicle, which she couldn’t even see around, and that’s a perfect example of our speed limit increase,” Fugate said. “If somebody was traveling at a faster speed our closing distance is greater increasing our chances of a serious injury crash or fatal crash.”

According to ODOT, more than 400 people died on Oregon highways last year. It was one of the worst death tolls in state history — and officials say two-thirds were due to distracted driving and driving off the road.

Fugate says complying with the speed limit is imperative to your safety.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Fugate says it’s a good time to remind everyone to put your handheld devices down, focus on the road and mind your speed.