28 Oregon Trucking Association, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch Accident Trends in Oregon By Adam Williamson | OTA’s Director of Training & Development OCTOBER 4, 2022 was supposed to be just another day for Sarah Pliner. Founder and chef of an acclaimed local restaurant Aviary, Pliner was cycling to work when she was fatally struck by a truck on 26th and Powell Boulevard in Portland, Oregon. Described by her friends as a wonderful and creative person, she was only 31 at the time of her death. Her passing was a tragedy in every sense of the word and garnered considerable news coverage in the Portland area at the time. Part of what made Pliner’s story so significant to many is that it is part of a larger pattern throughout the state. The Oregon Department of Transportation makes vehicle crash statics available to the general public on their website, and the trend in recent years has been troubling to say the least. The average annual rate of fatal crashes in Oregon increased by 16.5 incidents between 2011 and 2020 with an average fatality rate of 422 deaths per year during that time. In 2011 the total number of fatalities from vehicle crashes was 310 and that number ballooned to 574 in 2022. Of that total number of fatalities in 2022, at least 70 involved commercial motor vehicles. Obviously, this is not a trend that anybody wants to see continue. Statistics in the Portland metropolitan area are especially concerning. The 2021 Vision Zero Traffic Report cited “the highest death toll on Portland streets in three decades” with 63 total fatalities. From 2017 through 2021 around 60% of deadly crashes occurred in what is referred to as Portland’s High Crash Network (the 8% of streets that account for most deadly crashes). In 2021, pedestrians made up 43% of all traffic deaths (70% of pedestrian deaths were houseless community members). Also in 2021, there were 32 deaths on state highways in Portland, including 12 on interstates. What is driving this surge in traffic fatalities? Some of the usual suspects like speed, impairment, and reckless driving continue to be significant factors. Not surprisingly, community complaints of this type of driving activity have sharply increased within the same time frame that the traffic enforcement program in Portland was defunded. Sgt. Tye Engstrom made news in 2021 as being the only dedicated traffic enforcement officer on staff with the Portland Police Bureau at the time. In a media interview, he pointed out that when he joined the traffic division in 2009 there were “35 motorcycles and probably 10 to 12 cars” operating in full time traffic enforcement before the unit was largely dismantled and officers reassigned to other duties in 2021. The lack of traffic enforcement priority showed up in the number of speeding citations (which were down 80% from prior years at the time of the interview). Is there a connection there? You be the judge. Other emerging trends cannot be ignored. Have you felt like there has been a significant increase in overall Oregon traffic—especially around Portland—in recent years? Your feeling is likely correct: Portland was ranked as the 12th worst U.S. city for traffic congestion in 2022 resulting in the average driver wasting more than 72 hours sitting in traffic and spending more than $1,216 in additional fuel. Frankly, the overall road capacity for vehicle transportation has not kept up with Oregon’s population increase in recent years. More vehicles trying to traverse the same limited roadways bring that much more potential for vehicle accidents. This logistical transportation issue is not going to just magically solve itself. The I-5 Rose Quarter plan is intended to help with some of these congestion issues, but the project has moved very slowly with environmental, political, and social issues bogging it down. Action is needed. Another underlying factor can be seen with the number of Oregon’s houseless community members growing dramatically in recent years. This SAFETY
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