Distracted Driving Awareness Month Encourages Safe Driving Habits

ACROSS OREGON - From Oregon Department of Transportation:

Startling statistics* (distracted driving): On average, in Oregon…

• A distracted driver causes a crash every 2.5 hours—almost 10 crashes each day.
• Distracted driving causes one in every 12 serious injury crashes in Oregon.

Startling statistics* (work zones): On average, in Oregon…

• A work zone crash occurs every 17 hours.
• An inattentive (distracted!) driver is the most common cause of work zone crashes.
• Four out of five work zone fatalities are drivers and their passengers.
• Fines double 24/7. Workers or not.

Help us mark the month of April and the week of April 9:

• Think about your one and only job when you’re behind the wheel: driving. #DriveHealthy: Hands on the wheel, mind on the road. Put your phone in the glove compartment or hand it to a passenger.

• When you’re a passenger, don’t let your driver drive distracted. Ask for their phone—you can answer, instead. Or put it in the glove compartment!

• Pay attention all the time you’re driving, but especially when you see orange signs, barrels, cones and barricades. Stay alert in work zones.

Dates to note:

• April 1-30: National Distracted Driving month. Social media hashtag: #JustDrive (national campaign), #DriveHealthy (ODOT program)
• April 9-13: National Work Zone Safety Awareness week. Hashtags: #WorkZone, #NWZAW, #EverybodysResponsibility (And Oregon will also mark work zone safety awareness for the entire month of May.)
• Wednesday April 11: Go Orange day, the day to wear orange as a reminder: Orange is your clue! Pay attention when you see orange signs, barrels, cones or barricades. Post an orange selfie! Hashtags: #GoOrange, #Orange4Safety
• Thursday April 12, 11:00 a.m.: Press conference at Portland International Raceway with several distracted driving race courses for reporters to experience firsthand. More on this in a media advisory later—save the date!

Image via Shutterstock