The Fourth: Oregon’s deadliest holiday for impaired driving

Oregon’s deadliest holiday for impaired driving is around the corner, the Oregon Department of Transportation warned Monday.

Eight people have died on Oregon roadways in alcohol-involved crashes in the last two years over the Fourth of July, and this year – with legalized marijuana now in the mix – the three-day-weekend could see the toll increased.

But it doesn’t have to happen, and if members of the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants have their way, it will be a safe weekend for all Oregon families.

“We all enjoy celebrating the amazing freedoms we have on the Fourth of July. But we can’t ever forget our responsibilities, especially when it comes to impaired driving,” said Chuck Hayes, chair of the Advisory Committee and a retired Oregon State Police captain.

“Too many families have paid a terrible price on Oregon roads because of selfish decisions regarding drugs and alcohol. This holiday, I’m asking every Oregonian to make a pledge to drive sober. Impaired driving deaths are 100% preventable and it starts by making the right choice for you, your family, your neighbors, and the people on the road next to you.”

Bracing for the storm

This year has law enforcement and prevention professionals concerned, and for good reason. Legalized marijuana, along with potent and unpredictable marijuana edibles, oils and concentrates, is new to the Oregon marketplace, and the impacts to traffic safety are far from encouraging.

“We’ve closely watched the lessons from Washington’s and Colorado’s experiments with legalized marijuana and the corresponding rise in related traffic fatalities,” said Dan Estes, ODOT’s Impaired Driving Program manager. “Legalized marijuana may symbolize freedom for many Oregonians, but they need to embrace the responsibility that goes with liberty.”

Estes’ sentiments are supported by a recently released study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety showing that fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after the state legalized the drug. This follows a similar pattern in Colorado, and Oregon officials have been preparing for the worst.

Trained officers know the impacts

In the arsenal against impaired driving, Oregon has approximately 200 law enforcement officers statewide trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs). In addition, Oregon continues to increase training for police officers through the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) program, teaching them to recognize impairment from seven different categories of impairing drugs, including stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens and cannabis.

According to Oregon DRE Coordinator Sgt. Evan Sether of the Oregon State Police, more than 900 law enforcement officers have been trained in ARIDE since 2009. In 2013, four ARIDE classes were taught.

With marijuana legalization new in Oregon, over 20 ARIDE classes will be held across the state this year. On top of expanding ARIDE, in 2015, Sgt. Sether also doubled the rigorous three-week DRE training course to allow more officers access to this expert-level certification.

Federal, state and local partners working together

ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division, in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will fund a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign leading up to and through Independence Day. This effort includes targeted media messages as well as increased enforcement across Oregon’s roadways and in areas with high numbers of DUII crashes provided by Oregon State Police, sheriff’s offices and city police departments.

During the 2014 holiday in the U.S., 164 people were killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Those preventable deaths make up 41 percent of the 397 people killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes nationally over that 4th of July period.

The Governor’s Advisory Committee on DUII, tasked with helping raise awareness of the dangers of DUII and getting communities and partners involved in prevention since 1983, encourages all Oregonians to take personal responsibility for making safe and sober choices.

“This is a wonderful day in our nation’s history, and we all remember what it stands for. But a wrong decision and selfish choice can destroy a family and their American Dream,” Hayes said.

Got a smartphone? Download the SaferRide app so you can easily and quickly catch a ride if you are impaired. Learn more.