Start 2016 Safely

As we count down the final hours of 2015 this is a good moment to remember the importance of celebrating safely. Yes, you read many warnings like this every year, but there is good reason for that. For all the effort that goes into education and prevention in the run-up to every December 31 the evening remains one of the most dangerous times of the year to be on the roads.

As noted by Eugene TV station KEZI, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has reported that fully one-third of traffic fatalities each year involve alcohol. Recognizing the dangers, and in an effort to curb Portland drunk driving, Tri-Met will again be offering free transportation tonight, starting at 8 pm.

As a number of media outlets have noted, New Years Eve traffic fatalities across the state have fallen in recent years. Indeed, two years ago there were no New Year’s traffic fatalities at all. Arrests, however, have steadily risen over the same period, indicating perhaps that if education has been less than a complete success enforcement, at least, goes a long way toward cutting down on accidents. Medford TV station KDRV is warning its viewers to expect “saturation patrols” tonight, and that advice can safely be said to apply throughout the state.

As a Portland drunk driving victims’ attorney I am always saddened to start the new year reading about arrests and deaths on Oregon’s streets and highways, but glad to know that state and local police are doing everything possible to keep all of us safe. Please have a fun and happy New Years Eve, but please also act responsibly: don’t drink and drive, use public transport whenever possible and if you do drive stay off your cellphone (distracted driving and drunk driving are a particularly lethal combination).

 

KEZI: Police increase DUI patrols New Year’s Eve

KDRV: New Years Eve Saturation Patrols

Tri-Met New Years Eve Information Page

50 SW Pine St 3rd Floor Portland, OR 97204 Telephone: (503) 226-3844 Fax: (503) 943-6670 Email: matthew@mdkaplanlaw.com
map image