Distracted driving awareness

Oregonians are buckling up! In 2012, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) reported that more than 98 percent of us wear safety belts.

We can make distracted driving a similar success story. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and the City of Bend Police and Fire Departments are partnering with ODOT and the Bend-La Pine Schools to make the community aware of the dangers of driving distracted.

Any activity that diverts a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving is dangerous. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study revealed that physically dialing a phone while driving increases the risk of a crash as much as six times. Texting is even riskier, increasing collision risk by 23 times.

In Oregon, you cannot use a handheld mobile communications device while driving. You cannot text while driving. Nine out of 10 drivers support these kinds of laws that ban texting while driving.

About 90 percent of passengers say they feel very unsafe when their drivers are talking on a hand-held cell phone, texting or e-mailing while driving. And surveys note that more than 60 percent of friends and family members will speak up. These passengers are using their influence to steer others towards responsible driving habits. Speaking up could save a life.

What is being done?

In May 2014, 9 percent of citations written in Bend were for operating a vehicle while using a cell phone. In Oregon cell phone use convictions increased from 14 in 2009 to 21,520 in 2013.

Bend-La Pine Schools and the Bend Fire Department have raised awareness of distracted driving by displaying a vehicle that has been involved in a distracted driving crash.

The City of Bend Police Department, with funding and participation from ODOT, will be enhancing patrols specifically aimed at curbing distracted driving April 21 through April 25.

The Bend City Council on April 15 declared April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The High Desert Advocates, a group of people with disabilities that advocates for pedestrian safety, accepted the proclamation on behalf of the Bend Police Department.

The fight to end distracted driving starts with you. Make the commitment to drive phone-free today. Pledge to:
• Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.
• Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.
• Encourage friends and family to drive phone-free.

Here are websites with more information about the dangers of distracted driving:

http://www.nsc.org/learn/NSC-Initiatives/Pages/distracted-driving-awareness-month.aspx

http://www.distraction.gov/es/index.html