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Fatal Road Crashes Involving Cannabis Double in Washington State New research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows Cannabis- involved crashes in Washington state doubled aſter the drug was legalized in 2012. e new research also raises the troubling specter that setting legal limits for Cannabis and driving is an arbitrary practice unsupported by science, making enforcement a tougher challenge. e research also shows that the percentage of drivers involved in Washington crashes who had recently used Cannabis more than doubled from 8 to 17% between 2013 and 2014, and that 1 in 6 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2014 had recently used Cannabis. e AAA Foundation calls the significant increases in fatal crashes “alarming”, and says that they are an eye-opening case study for the 20 or so states currently considering Cannabis legalization. But setting legal limits poses problems because there is no reliable science to support impairment at specific levels of Cannabis in the blood. e AAA Foundation has created a Drugged Driving infographic, and posted an Impaired Driving “B-Roll” Video. e video shows a single law enforcement officer pulling drivers over and running through an impaired driving protocol. Click here to learn more and get the Drugged Driving Infographic. Look for cars in all directions – including those turning leſt or right. If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows you enough time to cross safely, and continue to watch for traffic as you cross. Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact with drivers as they approach you to make sure you are seen. Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night. Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots. Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking; they impair your abilities and judgment too. See tips for Driving; continued on Page 2 M aking I mpact an June 2016 - Volume 3, Issue 9 Making an Impact .......................................... OregonImpact.org ........................................................ 1 Everyone is a Pedestrian With Summer here, pedestrians are out and about more than ever. Safety is a shared responsibility. Follow these safety tips when you are walking: Be predictable. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals. Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible. Keep alert at all times; don’t be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections whenever possible. is is where drivers expect pedestrians.
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Sep 08, 2018

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Page 1: aking an I mpactoregonimpact.org/_upload/20161201/59/June.pdf · Driving Infographic. • Look for cars in all directions – including those turning left or right. ... and carefully

Fatal Road Crashes Involving Cannabis Double in Washington State

New research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows Cannabis-involved crashes in Washington state doubled after the drug was legalized in 2012. The new research also raises the troubling specter that setting legal limits for Cannabis and driving is an arbitrary practice unsupported by science, making enforcement a tougher challenge. The research also shows that the percentage of drivers involved in Washington crashes who had recently used Cannabis more than doubled from 8 to 17% between 2013 and 2014, and that 1 in 6 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2014 had recently used Cannabis.

The AAA Foundation calls the significant increases in fatal crashes “alarming”, and says

that they are an eye-opening case study for the 20 or so states currently considering Cannabis legalization. But setting legal limits poses problems because there is no reliable science to support impairment at specific levels of Cannabis in the blood.

The AAA Foundation has created a Drugged Driving infographic, and posted an Impaired Driving “B-Roll” Video. The video shows a single law enforcement officer pulling drivers over and running through an impaired driving protocol.

Click here to learn more and get the Drugged Driving Infographic.

• Look for cars in all directions – including those turning left or right.

• If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows you enough time to cross safely, and continue to watch for traffic as you cross.

• Never assume a driver sees you. Make eye contact with drivers as they approach you to make sure you are seen.

• Be visible at all times. Wear bright clothing during the day, and wear reflective materials or use a flashlight at night.

• Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways, or backing up in parking lots.

• Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking; they impair your abilities and judgment too. See tips for Driving; continued on Page 2

M a k i n g I m p a c tan

June 2016 - Volume 3, Issue 9

M a k i n g a n I m p a c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O r e g o n I m p a c t . o r g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Everyone is a PedestrianWith Summer here, pedestrians are out and about more than ever. Safety is a shared responsibility. Follow these safety tips when you are walking:

• Be predictable. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.

• Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.

• If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.

• Keep alert at all times; don’t be distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes (and ears) off the road.

• Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections whenever possible. This is where drivers expect pedestrians.

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M a k i n g a n I m p a c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O r e g o n I m p a c t . o r g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Janelle LawrenceExecutive Director

Contact Us

Funded through a grant from

ODOT Transportation Safety Division

Subscribe Donate

Driving Safely Around Emergency VehiclesArticle from Esurance

You’re driving along and trying to sound out some ‘80s lyrics when you hear the wailing sirens. What do you do? Panic and swerve isn’t the right answer, although it is an understandable reflex. We’ll explain how to safely share the road with ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars.

Because emergency vehicles don’t have the time to obey traffic rules like the rest of us, their need to get somewhere fast can put you in a dicey position.

Depending on the scenario, there are ways to cooperate with drivers of emergency vehicles and reduce the risk of a crash when you see those flashing lights.

The one thing to remember: right-of-way: This likely goes without saying, but emergency vehicles trump all others when it comes to right-of-way. When the siren is blaring and the lights are flashing, green lights, yield signs, and carefully rehearsed roundabout etiquette take a back seat to any

police car, fire truck, or ambulance. When the siren approaches from behind you: The first thing to do is slow down and check on the traffic around you. Avoid the knee-jerk instinct to pull over immediately — there could be another car, a cyclist, or a pedestrian.

Once you spot a clear path to the shoulder, flip on your blinker or your hazard lights and make your way over to the right. Wait to make sure the coast is clear before you pull back into traffic.

When the siren approaches from the front: It can be tricky to know what to do when an emergency response vehicle approaches from the oncoming lane. In general, you still want to pull to the side of the road and flip your hazards on.

Another good reason to pull over: police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances will sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road if the traffic is too dense in their lanes. Pulling onto the shoulder essentially frees your lane for the emergency responders.

Following distance: Stay stopped until the vehicle has passed. Remain

at least 500 feet behind the emergency vehicle. Approaching a stopped emergency vehicle: This is where emergency responders are most at risk. In Oregon, you must move over if possible* to another available lane (or slow down if you can’t move over or if the move would be unsafe) when approaching the rear of an emergency vehicle, law enforcement, tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle that has its flashers activated. “Slow down” means reducing your vehicle’s speed by at least five miles per hour below the posted speed of the roadway.* Helping the helpers and staying out of harm’s way: An emergency responder’s job is not an easy one. We can help by understanding the official and unspoken rules of the road — slow down, pull over when it’s safe, and stay alert.Understanding how to share the road with ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks adds one more safe-driving feather to your cap. *HB 2040 requires drivers to slow down at least 5 mph below the posted speed if making a lane change (moving over) is unsafe or impossible (i.e. two-lane road.)

Everyone is a Pedestrian Continued from Page 1 Follow these safety tips when you are driving:

• Use extra caution when driving in hard-to-see conditions, such as nighttime or in bad weather.

• Slow down and be prepared to stop when turning or otherwise entering a crosswalk.

• Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and stop well back from the crosswalk to give other vehicles an opportunity to see the crossing pedestrians so they can stop too.

• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk. There may be people crossing that you can’t see.

• Never drive under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

• Follow the speed limit, especially around people on the street.

• Follow slower speed limits in school zones and in neighborhoods where there are children present.

• Be extra cautious when backing up – pedestrians can move into your path.

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Truck Underride Roundtable Addresses Deadly Crashes

A roundtable meeting sponsored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was recently held to tackle the problem of large truck underride crashes.

In an underride crash, a passenger vehicle goes partially or wholly under a truck or trailer, increasing the likelihood of death or serious injury to people riding in the smaller vehicle. Side underride crashes often involve pedestrians and bicyclists and are a particular issue in urban areas.

Underride guards, steel bars that hang from large trucks, are required for the backs of semitrailers but not the sides of trailers or the fronts of large trucks. An upgraded standard for rear underride guards is pending with NHTSA.

Rear Crash TestsAs part of the event, IIHS evaluated crash test results of a new rear underride guard design on a 2016 Stoughton semitrailer.

Stoughton’s underride guard stopped the Chevy Malibu (pictured), preserving survival space for the test dummy in the driver’s seat of the car, and preventing the

dummy’s head from contacting the rear of the trailer itself.

Gary Felton, of Stoughton Trailers, said the manufacturer redesigned the guard to provide better protection in overlap crashes and plans to make the new guard standard on its trailers.IIHS has evaluated multiple trailers from 8 of the largest trailer

manufacturers in North America. The 2016 Stoughton is the fourth trailer to successfully stop underride in the toughest underride guard evaluation.

The tests are part of an IIHS research program to encourage better rear underride guards that won’t buckle or break away when a trailer gets rear-ended by another vehicle. Without waiting for an updated federal regulation, trailer manufacturers have voluntarily made changes to their guard designs in order to improve protection in

rear impacts. The changes exceed current regulations, as well as NHTSA’s proposed requirements.

Truck Safety Marketplace“We had no idea if there would be a safety marketplace for large trucks when we began our crash tests,” Matthew Brumbelow, an IIHS senior research engineer who has

extensively studied truck underride crashes, shared with the audience. “We at the Institute have been really encouraged by the response from trailer manufacturers.”

Mark Roush, vice president of engineering with Vanguard,

participated in the afternoon panel discussion. Vanguard is one of the trailer manufacturers that voluntarily improved their underride guards.

“As far as we knew we were producing trailers to what we thought was the highest regulatory standard, and then the IIHS test came in and made us aware of what was happening,” Roush said. “Three of our largest customers forwarded letters from (an attending victim advocate) asking us to do more.”

Watch the archived webcast.

Topic Date Time Registration TREC Webinar: State Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Emissions 6/14 10 am Register

TREC 2-Day Workshop: Integrating Bike/Ped Topics into Univ. Courses 6/22 All day More Info

TREC IBPI Workshop: Comprehensive Bikeway Design 2.0 7/25 - 7/29 All day More Info

Transportation Safety Workshops TREC Events UP Highway Safety Workshops OSU Kiewit Center

TREC Workshops are typically held at PSU.

OSU Workshop: Legal Aspects and Liability of Traffic Safety 8/31 All day More Info

Chevy Malibu in rear underride guard crash test with Stoughton semitrailer.

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Look Before You Lock Heatstroke is one of the leading causes of death among children. Unfortunately, even great parents can forget a child in the back seat. Other risk factors include caregivers who aren’t used to driving kids or whose routine suddenly changes.

Whether you’re a parent, caregiver or bystander of a child left in a car, it’s vitally important to understand children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults. Follow these important rules and tips to protect children from heatstroke: Always Look Before You Lock:Always check the back seats of your vehicle before your lock it and walk away. Create a Visual Reminder: Keep a stuffed animal or other memento

Date City Location Address Time6/14 Corvallis Corvallis Fire 400 NW Harrison St 8 am - 11 am6/14 Coos Bay Coos Bay Fire 450 Elrod Ave 11 am - 1 pm6/15 Redmond Redmond Fire 341 NW Dogwood Ave 2 pm - 4 pm6/16 Island City Walmart 11619 Island Ave 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm6/18 Hillsboro Tuality Health Edu Ctr 334 SE 8th St 9 am - 11:30 am6/18 Vancouver* Peace Health* 92nd Ave Entrance 8:45 am - 2 pm*6/21 Bend Bend Fire - West Stn 1212 SW Simpson 11:30 am - 2:30 pm6/25 Tualatin Tualatin Police 8650 SW Tualatin Rd 9 am - 12 pm6/25 Portland Providence St. Vincent 9205 SW Barnes Rd 9 am - 11 am6/25 Salem Salem Hospital Corner of Mission/Capitol 12:30 pm - 2 pm 6/30 Forest Grove Forest Grove Fire 1919 Ash St 3 pm - 5 pm6/30 Eugene Eugene Fire 1725 W 2nd Ave 4 pm - 6 pm

Drivers - Heads Up! New Speeds Posted on Curves Statewide

Following an analysis of roadway curve speeds using updated equipment – and to meet new Federal Highway Administration requirements – ODOT is updating curve warning signs statewide to better communicate roadway conditions.

Those curve “advisory speed” signs you’ve noticed... and then surpassed? You’ll want to pay more attention to them. Those signs and speeds are probably going to change – and they’re going to better match the safe speed at which you can drive through the curve. Oregon, like many other states, is in the process of updating those advisory speeds, using improved technology and bringing them up to consistent standards. Learn more. Extra: Watch “The Sound of Safety”: ODOT Rumble Strip Program Video

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in your child’s car seat when it’s empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Check In: If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has been altered, always check to make sure your child has

arrived safely. Keep in Mind a Child’s Sensitivity to Heat: In 10 minutes, a car’s temperature

can rise over 20 degrees. Even at an outside temperature of 60 degrees, the temperature inside your car can reach 110 degrees. A child dies when his/her body temperature reaches 107 degrees. Understand the Potential Consequences of Kids in Hot Cars:

• Severe injury or death • Being arrested and jailed • A lifetime of regret

Learn more at SaferCar.gov.

For more listings, appointment options, best practice information, and what to expect at a check-up event, visit the Child Safety Seat Resource Center.

Car Seat Check-Up Events and Fitting Stations

*Peace Health Event: Registration required by 8:45 am for 9-10 am class. First come, first served. Must attend class to participate in the clinic, which is held from 10 am - 2 pm.

Save the Date2016 Oregon Transportation Safety Conference

October 24th and 25th Embassy Suites – Washington Square in Tigard