In this issue:

• Super Bowl | Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk
• ODOT Advisory Committees Meeting in February
• Waymo and GHSA Offer First Responder Training for Autonomous Vehicles
• Get Your Car Ready for Winter
• Oregon Winter Driving Guide
• Oregon Impact Toolbox: Tools You Can Use 
• Upcoming Events

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SUPER BOWL

In anticipation of the Super Bowl, join the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety initiative to educate the public about the importance of sober driving. Super Bowl parties are some of the most attended gatherings among friends and family, so keeping safety in mind is essential. NHTSA’s national Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk Super Bowl-themed drunk-driving prevention campaign urges drivers to understand the importance of sober driving, and to help get drunk drivers off the road.

For Designated Drivers

• Take your role as designated driver seriously — people are relying on you. If you’re attending a party, enjoy the food and nonalcoholic drinks. Refrain from any alcoholic beverages or other drugs.
• Always buckle your seat belt and require any passengers to do the same. Don’t start the car until all passengers’ seat belts are buckled.
• If someone you know has been drinking and tries to drive, take their keys and help them get home safely.

For Party Attendees

• It’s illegal to drive drunk, period. Before you head out to a Super Bowl party, make a game plan that includes a sober driver — someone who will not drink at all, and will safely bring you home.
• Make sure your designated driver is actually sober. If he or she decides to drink unexpectedly, call a sober ride. 
• When you ride home with your sober driver, make sure you — and your driver — wear your seat belts. It’s your best defense in a crash.
• If available, use your community’s sober ride program

For the Party Hosts

• If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, be sure all your guests have a sober ride home. Ask your guests to designate their sober drivers in advance.
• Encourage your drinking guests to pace themselves, eat food, and drink plenty of water.
• Serve a selection of nonalcoholic drinks.
• Never serve alcohol to minors. It is illegal for someone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver. In fact, you can face jail time if you host a party where alcohol is served to people under the age of 21.
• Drunk driving is illegal and deadly.
• Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher, except in Utah, where the limit is .05 g/dL.
• Even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability.

The Cost of Drunk Driving

• The financial impact from impaired-driving crashes is devastating: Crashes in which alcohol was the cause resulted in $57 billion in economic costs.
• Drinking and driving is a risk no one should take. Doing so can cause injury or death to the driver, passengers, and others on the road. The consequences of drunk driving could be life-altering.

Plan Ahead for a Safe Celebration

• Always drive 100% sober. Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many. 
• Plan ahead: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one.
• You have options to get home safely: Designate a sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare. Getting home safely is always worth it.
• If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
• If you have a friend who is about to drink and drive, take the keys away and let a sober driver get your friend home safely.

ODOT Advisory Committees Meeting in February

Ever wanted to have your say on the work done by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)? This month you have your chance: eight of ODOT's advisory committees are meeting in February, and they want to hear from you!

For more information about these committees, check out the links below. You can also check the Oregon's Public Meetings website for more details about meeting locations and accessibility. Many meetings are held online.

⎆ The Jurisdictional Transfer Advisory Committee meets on Feb. 3 at 11am and Feb. 11 at noon. This committee develops and makes recommendations on transferring ownership of highways from ODOT to local entities (cities or counties).

⎆ The Driver Education Advisory Committee meets Feb. 5 at 10am. This committee's mission is to provide students under the age of 18 with classroom and behind-the-wheel education necessary for the safe and responsible operation of passenger vehicles.

⎆ The Oregon Transportation Safety Committee meets Feb. 11 at 9:30 am. This committee helps ODOT in the vital work of keeping Oregon roads and highways safe for drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

⎆ The Public Transportation Advisory Committee meets Feb. 12 at 9am. This committee provides advice on policy and funding areas that impact public transit users and providers; it serves as a forum for discussion and identification of issues and solutions.

⎆ The Mobility Advisory Committee meets Feb. 12 at 1pm. This committee advises ODOT on construction project planning and development, with the aim of maximizing safety in work zones while ensuring goods and people continue to move efficiently.

⎆ The Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee meets Feb. 18 at 1pm. This committee provides oversight and advice to improve the efficiency and delivery of large scale (budget $50 million or more) construction projects.

⎆ The ACEC-ODOT Liaison Committee meets Feb. 20 at 9am. This committee manages the partnership between the American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon (ACEC) and ODOT.

⎆ The Safety and Mobility Policy Advisory Committee meets Feb. 25 at 10am. This committee advises ODOT in pursuit of its mission to provide a safe and reliable, multimodal transportation system. This committee also provides policy oversight for the Mobility Advisory Committee.

Waymo and GHSA Offer First Responder Training for Autonomous Vehicles

As the Waymo autonomous ride-hailing service continues to expand across the United States and overseas, it has partnered with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) to create a new online safety training course for first responders interacting with Waymo vehicles.

First responders – including law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services and tow-truck operators – need to have the knowledge and tools to safely interact with new and emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles (AVs), especially when there is no driver.

To ensure first responders feel confident approaching and interacting with autonomous vehicles on the roadways, with or without passengers, Waymo’s First Responder Outreach team leads hands-on vehicle trainings with local fire, police and EMS organizations well in advance of opening their service to public riders. This new, complimentary online instruction supplements the comprehensive in-person training and safety resources available in cities where Waymo vehicles are deployed.

“Waymo and other AVs can unlock tremendous safety and mobility benefits for everyone,” said GHSA CEO Jonathan Adkins. “We owe it to our first responders – the first line of defense when there’s a problem on the road – to make sure they are prepared to safely interact with these vehicles.”

“Waymo understands the important role of first responders in keeping our roadways safe and we value our relationship with those teams in the cities in which we operate,” said Rob Patrick, Waymo’s Emergency Response and Outreach Manager and retired California Highway Patrol Commander.

“We are committed to ensuring that first responders feel prepared and confident when working around our vehicles.” In addition to the online Waymo training, GHSA has developed a first responder autonomous vehicle resource page that provides information about where AVs are being deployed and includes links to first responder resources available from other AV companies including Aurora and Zoox.



Waymo currently operates in six US cities, with an additional 10 US cities plus London in the UK coming soon. Waymo vehicles have been spotted in Portland, especially in the Northwest neighborhoods, suggesting the service may be coming to Oregon soon as well.

❄️Get Your Car Ready for Winter❄️

Driving in the winter can be harrowing, especially in snowstorms and icy conditions. By getting your car ready for winter and using some simple tips to drive safely, you can face almost any weather Mother Nature decides to send your way.

❄️Precautions to Prevent Winter Breakdowns

In addition to annual maintenance, here are some tips to winterize your car:


① Test your battery; battery power drops as the temperature drops.


② Make sure the cooling system is in good working order.


③ Use winter tires with a deeper, more flexible tread put on your car.

④ If using all-season tires, check the tread and replace if less than 2/32 of an inch.

⑤ Check the tire pressure, which drops as the temperature drops.

⑥ Check your wiper blades and replace if needed.

⑦ Add wiper fluid rated for -30 degrees Fahrenheit.

⑧ Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze.

❄️Before You Start Out

① Clean your car's external camera lenses and side mirrors.

② Remove dirt, ice and snow from sensors to allow the assistive-driving features, like automatic emergency braking, to work.

③ In frigid weather, you may want to warm up the car before you drive.

④ To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, never leave a vehicle running in your garage – even with the garage door up.

⑤ If the forecast looks iffy, wait out the storm; if you must travel, share your travel plans and route with someone before you leave

❄️How to Avoid a Crash

AAA offers the following driving tips:


① Avoid using cruise control in wintry conditions.

② Steer in the direction of a skid, so when your wheels regain traction, you don’t have to overcorrect to stay in your lane.

③ Accelerate and decelerate slowly.

④ Increase following distance to 8 to 10 seconds.

⑤ If possible, don't stop when going uphill.


If visibility is severely limited due to a whiteout, pull off the road to a safe place and do not drive until conditions improve. Avoid pulling off onto the shoulder unless it is an absolute emergency. Limited visibility means other vehicles can’t see yours on the shoulder.

❄️Know Your Car's Capabilities

My Car Does What? is a national campaign to help educate drivers about the safety features built into vehicles. Search for your car and find out what safety features are already built in.

Traction control is now standard on most new vehicles. This function helps your vehicle gain traction on snowy, icy or wet surfaces, particularly when accelerating from a stopped or slowed position, or when trying to make it up a slippery hill.

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps you steer in emergencies by restoring traction to your tires and is standard on most new vehicles. ABS may vibrate or pulse when engaged. This is normal. Continue to press and hold pressure to the brake pedal.

Remember, you are your car's best safety feature. Take precautions to ensure you arrive safely at your destination. If you become stranded in an unfamiliar area, do not leave your car. Light flares in front and behind the car and make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow, mud or objects.

❄️Oregon Winter Driving Guide❄️

Oregon’s beautiful scenery is a year-round source of enjoyment. Driving in Oregon’s winters, however, can be challenging. Follow these recommendations so you arrive safely at your destination:



1.  Check Oregon’s road conditions and weather forecasts before you leave.

2.  Make someone aware of your routes, and if plans change, let someone know. Check in when you’ve reached your destination.

3.  Remember, cell phone coverage is not available in many remote areas.

4.  Keep your gas tank at least half full.

5.  Clear any snow, ice or frost from windows, lights, hood, heater and air inlet vents (don’t forget mirrors and wipers).

6.  Do not drive with heater in recirculation mode; it can increase humidity.

7.  Drive with your lights on and reduce your speed.

8.  Adjust your driving for the conditions; if there is ice or snow on the road, you must take extra care.

9.  Don’t use cruise control in wet, icy or snowy weather.

10. If you lose traction, gradually slow down – don’t slam on the brakes!

11. Steering, braking and accelerating smoothly are key to maximum vehicle control on slippery surfaces. Steer just enough to follow the path you intend (most people steer too much or too fast).

12. Be ready to handle potentially dangerous situations by thinking “15 seconds” ahead about your options, such as controlling your speed, changing lanes or communicating with others on the road.

13. Use extra caution when driving on bridges or concrete highways: ice forms first on these surfaces.

14. Avoid driving through snowdrifts; they may cause you to lose control of your vehicle or hit something buried in the snow.

15. Slow down in advance of shaded areas (especially curves) where ice and snow are the last to melt.

16. Chain up early.

Oregon Impact Toolbox:

Tools You Can Use

Oregon Impact has a variety of impairment goggles, often referred to as "drunk goggles" — powerful tools designed to simulate the effects of various impairments, such as alcohol or drug intoxication or drowsiness, by distorting vision, balance, and perception, these goggles offer a safe and eye-opening way to understand the challenges and risks associated with impaired functioning.

Here are some easy ways to use them in your community:

1. Educational Campaigns

Impairment goggles are widely used in schools, community events, and workplaces to raise awareness about the dangers of driving under the influence. By attempting to perform simple tasks while wearing the goggles, participants gain insight into the risks associated with impairment.

2. Workplace Safety Programs

Industries that rely on heavy machinery or driving use these goggles to stress the importance of being sober and alert on the job.

3. Common activities with impairment goggles:

• Walking a straight line
• Catching or tossing a ball
• Navigating an obstacle course
• Driving simulators to illustrate the risks of impaired driving

These hands-on experiences often leave a lasting impression, reinforcing the importance of staying sober and focused in critical situations.

The Bottom Line

Impairment goggles are more than just a learning tool; they are a conversation starter. By giving people a glimpse into what it feels like to be impaired, they inspire individuals to think twice about their actions and the consequences. Whether it’s for educational programs or professional training, impairment goggles are an innovative way to promote safety and awareness in our communities.

All our goggles are available for your use at no charge. Please reach out to Anna at anna@oregonimpact.org for reservations.

Remember: The safest choice is to always stay clear-headed, whether on the road or in daily life.

Upcoming Events

• March: Vehicle Safety Recalls Week
• March: St. Patrick's Day | Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving
• April: National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Drive Sober, Safe, and Happy!

from your

Friends at Oregon Impact