Safety in Lane County

This might be not the subject you thought I might talk about here on my site. But I felt the need to pass along this information which I received at work from our County’s Public Works Director:

“Please consider your environment while traveling Lane County roads, whether by foot, bike, or car. Lane County had more traffic fatalities than any other Oregon county in 2014 and 2015. Even though most residents live in cities, most of those fatalities were on rural roads, outside City limits. In 2015, the most recent year crash data is available, 57 people were killed and 3,242 people were injured in Lane County as a result of a traffic collision.

The collision data analysis showed that our biggest problem (the leading crash type associated with fatal crashes) is people driving off the roadway, which is most frequently associated with driving too fast for conditions. Another contributing factor is distracted driving, which includes texting while driving, but also little things, like reaching into the back seat. We urge you to be mindful of the posted speed limits and we are working on acquiring and deploying more speed-feedback signs in rural Lane County to remind drivers of their speed. We also invite you to make a commitment, and to urge your friends and family, to never text and drive. Better yet: turn your phone off when you get in the car; there’s nothing on it that’s worth a fatal collision.

The good news is that most of our fatal collisions are preventable. You can help us save lives and reduce suffering, simply by being more aware of traffic safety. This is one of our most important public health issues, as from 2009-2013, traffic collisions is the leading cause of death for ages 1 to 24 in Lane County. This affects all of us.

Regional safety partners have united efforts to develop the Safe Lane Transportation Coalition, which launched with a media event just last Thursday. The Coalition includes the City of Coburg, City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane Council of Governments, Lane County, Lane Transit District, and Oregon Department of Transportation. You can find more information at www.safelanecoalition.org “