I will drive sober
69% percent of deadly crashes between 2017 and 2021 involved alcohol and/or drug impairment. In that same period, 430 people died or suffered life-altering injuries due to impairment. In these crashes, 79% of the drivers were impaired.
I will drive at safe speeds
If you’re going over 30 mph in Portland—and not on an interstate highway—you’re probably going too fast.
Speed was reported to play a role in at least 42% of deadly crashes between 2017 and 2021, including either driving over the speed limit or driving too fast for road conditions. When serious injuries are factored in with traffic deaths, at least 28% of crashes involve the driver’s speed. In five years, 471 people who died or suffered life-altering injuries due to speed.
Safe speeds lower the risk of crashes. And when crashes do occur, safe speeds make it less likely that people are killed or seriously injured.
I will be extra careful on wide, fast streets
Wide streets are those with four or more travel lanes, not counting freeways. It is more common for people to speed on wide streets, and they are typically harder to cross. For this and other reasons, wide streets accounted for nearly half of all deadly crashes in Portland from 2017-2021 and more than half of pedestrian deaths and serious injury crashes (52%).
I will only drive while driving
51% of deadly crashes involve people driving who do not stop for people walking, do not strop for stop signs, or exhibit other dangerous driving behaviors. Keep your focus on the road. Distracted driving is serious and can be costly. A quick glance at a cell phone can cause a driver to miss a person approaching a crosswalk.