With an ice storm warning now extending throughout the day Sunday and road closures throughout the Pacific Northwest this is a weekend to avoid any travel that is not absolutely necessary. That is not just my opinion, it is the official word from public safety officials throughout the state. As…
A leaked state audit of Tri-Met, details of which appeared in The Oregonian this morning, speaks of morale problems among “front-line” workers (such as bus drivers) and portrays an agency where “safety first” is often little more than a slogan. The newspaper’s summary of the 54-page report is startling: “TriMet…
An item posted late last night on The Oregonian’s website offers details of a serious Washington bicycle accident involving a teenage rider in which a motorist faces assault charges and, potentially, drunk driving charges as well. The paper, citing the Everett Herald, reports that a 52-year-old Everett man driving a…
A new year begins on Wednesday and, with it, a collection of new laws take effect. From my perspective as Portland distracted driving lawyer one of the most important new measures involves the tightening of our state’s laws concerning texting and the use of cellphones while driving. Concerning distracted driving,…
As we move through this holiday weekend here is a sobering thought about Oregon distracted driving: at any given moment during daylight hours nine percent of all drivers on the road nationwide are using cellphones, according to the National Safety Council. The Council has just released its annual analysis of…
The non-profit National Safety Council has published an excellent tip sheet to help parents prepare teen drivers for the special challenges that come with winter. Oregon car accidents can happen any time of the year, of course, but winter is different. As the website notes: “Winter conditions can challenge even…
Last week the New York Times carried an op-ed piece on the subject of urban cycling, particularly bike commuting, that managed to be thoughtful, funny and harrowing all at the same time. Topped by the provocative headline: “Is it OK to kill cyclists?” the article cites numerous recent instances of…
The Oregonian highlights an initiative by Beaverton’s police that is good for the public, and could serve as a model for other communities across Oregon. According to the newspaper as part of a pedestrian safety initiative “more than 30 citations were issued and one arrest made” yesterday alone in Beaverton.…
The 2009 death of an Oregon-bound family on a California freeway led this week to an important wrongful death ruling by a court in our neighbor to the south. As reported by the Los Angeles Times a 13-year-old girl is now the only survivor of her family’s SUV accident. The…
Regular readers know that I am a strong supporter of SafeKids Oregon, so I’m pleased to share the fact that SafeKids Oregon has joined with other SafeKids organizations across America and overseas to promote Teen Driver Safety Week. As SafeKids Oregon announces on their website (see link below), “although SafeKids…