In this issue:



• Seat Belts - Even One Empty Seat at the Table is Too Many
• Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving - Tips for Getting Home Safely Without Driving
• If You Feel Different, You Drive Different
• Consequences
• Traffic Safety Facts
• Seat Belt Safety for Adults
• Pregnant Seat Belt Recommendations for Drivers and Passengers
• Traveling for the Holidays
• Travel Information by Phone
• How to Report a Road Hazard
• This Just In!

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For those traveling this Thanksgiving, we want you to arrive at your destination safely. There are two easy ways to accomplish this:

1.   Buckle Up and,

2.   Don’t drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.

While they might seem obvious, the reality is that, in recent years, drivers are making risky decisions behind the wheel – including driving impaired and not wearing their seat belts.

During the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, from 2016-2020, over 800 people died in crashes involving a drunk driver. The holiday period begins on Thanksgiving Eve when we typically see people begin to gather with family and friends.

In fact, from 2016-2020, 138 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving Eve were drunk.

It’s important to understand even a small amount of alcohol can affect a person quickly. For example, someone with a blood alcohol concentration of .02 can experience some loss of judgment.

Drugs also affect a person’s ability to drive safely. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychoactive effects — impacts how a person drives.

THC slows reaction time, impairs cognitive performance, and makes it more difficult for drivers to stay in their lane.

By driving sober, buckling up every time, and making sure your passengers do the same, you can help ensure that you and your loved ones arrive to your holiday destination safe and sound. Also, remember to watch your speed and don’t drive distracted.

① Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.

② Air bags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an air bag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.

③ Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.

1. Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash.

Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly.

2. Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them.

If you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag. Such force could injure or even kill you. Learn about air bag safety.

3. Guidelines to buckle up safely.

• The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
• Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
• The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
• NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

4. Fit matters

•  Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you.
• Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit.
• If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders.
• If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts.

5. Seat belt safety for children and pregnant women.

• Find out when your child is ready to use an adult seat belt.
• Learn about seat belt safety when you’re pregnant. (PDF of the top 5)

If you’re pregnant, make sure you know how to position your seat and wear a seat belt to maximize your safety and the safety of your unborn child.

Read our recommendations below or view the instructional diagram version of our seat belt recommendations for pregnant drivers and passengers (PDF 497 KB).

I’m Pregnant. Should I Wear a Seat Belt?

• YES — doctors recommend it. Buckling up through all stages of your pregnancy is the single most effective action you can take to protect yourself and your unborn child in a crash.
• NEVER drive or ride in a car without buckling up first!



What’s the Right Way to Wear My Seat Belt?

• The shoulder belt away from your neck (but not off your shoulder) and across your chest (between your breasts), making sure to remove any slack from your seat belt with the lap belt secured below your belly so that it fits snugly across your hips and pelvic bone.
• NEVER place the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back.
• NEVER place lap belt over or on top of your belly.



Should I Adjust My Seat?

• YES — Adjust to a comfortable, upright position.
• Keep as much distance as possible between your belly and the steering wheel.
• Comfortably reach the steering wheel and pedals
• To minimize the gap between your shoulder and the seat belt, avoid reclining your seat more than necessary.
• Avoid letting your belly touch the steering wheel.



What if My Car or Truck Has Air Bags?

• You must still wear your seat belt properly.
• Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them.
• Without a seat belt, you could crash into the vehicle interior, other passengers, or be ejected from the vehicle.



My Car Has an ON-OFF Air Bag Disabling Switch. Should I turn it off?

• NO — Doctors recommend that pregnant women wear seat belts and leave air bags turned on. Seat belts and air bags work together to provide the best protection for you and your unborn child.



What Should I Do if I am Involved in a Crash?

• Seek immediate medical attention, even if you think you are not injured, regardless of whether you’re the driver or passenger.



For up-to-date travel conditions, visit TripCheck, ODOT's mobile-friendly travel information website. The site features:

• Maps that display road conditions and are updated in real time.

• Color-coded traffic speeds on most roads across the state.

• Trouble spots — whether from a traffic incident, weather, construction, maintenance.

• Alerts: These are high impact incidents prominently displayed.

• More than 700 camera images from key locations throughout Oregon, as well as southern Washington and northern California.

• Custom camera pages allow you to choose up to 10 different cameras for quick checks of specific routes.

• Links to bus, airport, train, bicycle and trucking information and detailed information on scenic byways, safety rest areas and Sno-Parks.

• Detailed information on the use of traction tires and chains in Oregon.

• Waze user reports and traffic jams; these are overlaid on the TripCheck map, providing real-time traffic and road conditions from Wazers in the area.

• "Travel Time," shows current travel times from key highway connections throughout the Portland metro area.

• Updated highway closure information associated with winter weather conditions on I-84 and I-5.

• TripCheck information is also available via Twitter. Visit www.TripCheck.com and click on the Twitter page to learn more. Use TripCheck TV to create a custom display of road condition information and camera images.

• Travelers in Oregon can dial 511 to access the same immediate road and weather information available on TripCheck. (Note: 511 does not have access to Waze data.)

• Select updated reports about driving conditions by highway, mountain pass or major city from easy-to-use menus. The 511 system responds to both voice and touch-tone commands.

• Calls to 511 are local calls when dialed from a pay phone or wire line phone. Mobile phone users are responsible for airtime and roaming charges according to their wireless service contracts, but ODOT does not impose any additional charges.

• Most wireless companies in Oregon provide 511 service. If you cannot use 511, call toll-free 800 977-ODOT (6368) for road and weather information. Outside Oregon, dial 503-588-2941.



• Oregon can forward users to Washington state's 511 system for road conditions in that state.

To report road hazards (trees down, electric wires across the road, road blocked by mud or rocks, etc.) call the nearest ODOT dispatch center.

• Portland metro area, Hood River area: (503) 283-5859
• Mid-Willamette Valley, north coast: (503) 362-0457
• Southern Willamette Valley, south coast: (541) 858-3103
• Central and eastern Oregon: (541) 383-0121

Wazers: We encourage you to submit road hazards, incidents and other related conditions that you experience in order to help others stay safe and mobile.



Remember, in Oregon, it is illegal to drive while holding or using an electronic device (e.g. cell phone, tablet, GPS, laptop). Pre-set GPS routes before driving or pull off the road and park in a safe area before using your electronic devices.

This Just In!

New Safety Billboard in Springfield

Springfield drivers may have noticed a new billboard along Route 126 near the 28th Street overpass in recent weeks. Officer Pardee, a 4-year member of SPD’s Traffic Team says he’s seen an uptick in distracted driving and the unfortunate injuries that can accompany the behavior.

Numbers from ODOT seem to agree: from 2017-2021 there were 26,661 crashes resulting in 194 fatalities and 26,264 injuries caused by crashes involving a distracted driver in Oregon. So next time you’re reaching for your device while driving, remember to ‘park your phone’ and don’t drive distracted!



Drive Sober, Safe, and Happy!

from your

Friends at Oregon Impact