Making an Impact

September 2024

In this issue:

Reminder: Labor Day DUII Enforcement
Child Passenger Safety Week & Seat Check Saturday
Reminder: Once You Park, Stop. Look. Lock.
Traffic Alerts – It's College Football Season
Upcoming Events

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Reminder: Labor Day DUII Enforcement

With the Labor Day weekend upon us, here’s a reminder that local law enforcement agencies are conducting enhanced patrols to stop impaired drivers. The enhanced enforcement period runs through Labor Day, September 4.

Please remember, with or without enhanced enforcement, there is no excuse for driving impaired. If you have had a bit too much to drink, or indulged in other intoxicating substances, don’t drive. Get a sober friend to drive you home or take a taxi or rideshare.

There are always options, and the expense of a DUII arrest will always far outweigh the cost of a sober ride home. You may well also be saving a life – quite possibly your own.

Child Passenger Safety Week

& Seat Check Saturday

September 15-21, 2024

Keeping your kids safe in the car has come a long way since the 1950s, but there's still more we can do.

Photo from the Library of Congress digital archive.

September 15-21, 2024, is Child Passenger Safety Week across the United States, culminating on Saturday September 21 with Seat Check Saturday.

This is a time to review the rules and check that child safety seats and restraint systems are working properly, because there is no question that properly installed and used restraint systems save lives: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that since 1975, child restraints have saved the lives of 11,606 children under the age of 5.

Car seats and booster seats are required by law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all United States territories. Oregon law specifies the following:

Children under the age of two must be in a rear-facing child restraint.

A properly used child restraint (harness) is required until the child weighs 40 pounds.

A booster is required until the child is 8 years old, and the adult seatbelt fits correctly, or the child is 4’9” tall.

For safety, children under the age of 13 should always ride, properly buckled, in the back seat. Front seat air bags are designed for adult passengers and can do more harm than good to a younger passenger in case of a crash.

NHTSA also found that while most parents and caregivers think they know how to install a car seat, nearly half have done so incorrectly. A 2016 study by OHSU found that some 95% of parents of newborns were not using their baby’s car seat properly!

In the Portland Metro area, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at OHSU runs weekly car seat check clinics, and schedules car seat fittings by appointment. Their website has more details about these events and a lot of useful information about car seat safety.

Reminder:

Once You Park, Stop. Look. Lock.

While Labor Day is considered the end of summer, there are still many hot days left in the year. It’s always important to remember, when you are traveling with kids in the car, to be safe and not ever leave a child unattended.

On average, 37 children die each year after being left or becoming trapped inside a hot car. According to NHTSA, this year, 18 children have perished in hot cars through the end of July – 13 of them in July alone. A child can die of heatstroke in a closed car when the outside temperature is as low as 60 degrees.

These deaths are entirely preventable. Please remember: Once You Park, Stop. Look. Lock.

Traffic Alerts!

It's College Football Season

The college football season is here, and ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) reminds drivers to expect heavy traffic on Interstate 5 on the weekends of home games for the University of Oregon in Eugene and Oregon State University in Corvallis. If you are traveling on game days, plan ahead.

Traffic will be especially heavy when both the Beavers and Ducks have home games, on August 31 and November 9, and the big rivalry game on September 14. Drivers can expect congestion through the Willamette Valley all day on these days as thousands of fans travel to and from the games.

Some tips for travelers:

① Plan ahead and stay alert.

Leave early and be patient. Be prepared for sudden stops in traffic and quick lane changes.

② Stay informed:

Check road and traffic conditions by visiting TripCheck.com or calling 511. If you’re already on the road, have one of your passengers do this!

③ Avoid distractions:

Hand your phone to a passenger for calls, texts, or checking TripCheck.com.

④ Buckle Up:

Make sure everyone is wearing their seat belts.

⑤ Drive Safely:

Make sure your driver is sober and well-rested before and after the game. If you see someone driving dangerously or suspect they are impaired, call 911 if it is safe for you to do so.

⑥ Consider alternative transportation:

The Amtrak Cascades passenger train stops in Eugene and train riders can catch the Lane Transit District’s Autzen Express bus.

Upcoming Events

October: Pedestrian Safety Month

October 20-26: Teen Driver Safety

Week October 21-25: School Bus Safety Week

October 31: Halloween, Impaired Driving Enforcement

November 17: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

Drive Sober, Safe, and Happy!

from your

Friends at Oregon Impact