Safety Tips With All The Ghoul's and Goblin's Taking to the Streets
Slow Down And Save A Life
(SALEM, Ore) — On this night, maybe more than any other night, we must remind our selves of road safety.
With all of our little ghoul’s & goblins taking to the streets tonight I was struck by how many people refuse to obey crosswalk laws.
Shelley Snow, spokes person for ODOT, says that Oregon averages 1 traffic death a year for the last 10 years on Halloween night.
Safe Kids World Wide says that kids are twice as likely to be injured or killed in a traffic related incident on Halloween.
Each of the examples you will see here in the video below are of people blatantly violating Oregon’s crosswalk laws.
These all happened in a one half hour trip around Salem today.
Sadly one of these occurrences involves a Salem Police Officer, who I am quite sure has an excuse to offer of how he or she is exempt from following all Oregon laws.
I have listed Oregon’s Revised Statute # ORS 811.028¹ for your information.
Folks we must do better, and tonight seems like a great time to start.
Oregon’s laws affect pedestrians, too. Pedestrians are required to obey traffic signals and walk safely.
But, pedestrians are unprotected and vulnerable.
You, as the driver, can prevent a life-changing crash by being prepared to stop and yield no matter who has the right of way.
Here are a few safety tips from ODOT that you can use to prevent a traffic death;
*Remember, under Oregon law there is a crosswalk at every intersection.
*Do not pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. A stopped car may be a clue that a pedestrian is crossing.
*When stopping for a crosswalk on a multi-lane road, you should stop about 30 feet before the crosswalk so you don’t block visibility to a driver in a second lane.
*When stopping at an intersection, do not block the crosswalk. This forces pedestrians to go around your vehicle and puts them in a dangerous situation.
*Watch for pedestrians, especially children, when exiting driveways or when backing out of parking spaces in parking lots.
*Pedestrians move at different speeds, be alert for children who may suddenly dart into the street.
*Be patient with older adults who take extra time to cross the street. Around taverns and bars, be alert for people with slowed reaction times or impaired judgment.
*Be alert for people or animals during low-light conditions, especially in areas where they are likely to cross the road.
Slow Down and Save a Life. And have fun tonight.
2015 ORS 811.028¹
Failure to stop and remain stopped for pedestrian
(1)The driver of a vehicle commits the offense of failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian if the driver does not stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian when the pedestrian is:
(a)Proceeding in accordance with a traffic control device as provided under ORS 814.010 (Appropriate responses to traffic control devices) or crossing the roadway in a crosswalk; and
(b)In any of the following locations:
(A)In the lane in which the driver’s vehicle is traveling;
(B)In a lane adjacent to the lane in which the driver’s vehicle is traveling;
(C)In the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning;
(D)In a lane adjacent to the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning, if the driver is making a turn at an intersection that does not have a traffic control device under which a pedestrian may proceed as provided under ORS 814.010 (Appropriate responses to traffic control devices); or
(E)Less than six feet from the lane into which the driver’s vehicle is turning, if the driver is making a turn at an intersection that has a traffic control device under which a pedestrian may proceed as provided under ORS 814.010 (Appropriate responses to traffic control devices).
