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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Memorial Day period traffic fatalities
Right trees can avoid electrical ills
property. A representative
Spring is the perfect time
Tree in the Right Place”
total eight; highest number in 19 years for planting
will mark the location of all
trees.
poster or “Small trees for
Four fatal traffic crashes
resulting in the deaths of
eight people occurred during
the three-day Memorial Day
holiday, said Oregon State
Police (OSP).
The previous high for
this holiday weekend oc-
curred 19 years ago when
nine people died in Oregon
traffic crashes, and was one
more than last year when
seven fatalities occurred.
OSP’s report covers from
6 p.m. Friday, May 26 to
11:59 p.m. Monday, May 29.
Preliminary information
confirmed by the Oregon
Dept. of Transportation’s
Fatality Analysis Reporting
System (FARS) reflects the
following reported fatal traf-
fic crashes:
*Friday evening, May
26, four people died in a
multivehicle crash on Hwy.
126 in the Springfield area.
*Saturday night, May
27 a motorcyclist died in a
single-vehicle crash on a
county road near Bend.
*Monday morning,
May 29 a woman suffered
fatal injuries after being
ejected from a vehicle in
Tigard.
*Monday afternoon,
May 29 two bicyclists died
after being struck by a vehi-
cle on Old Hwy. 47, a
county road in Washington
County.
“The three main safety
factors -- speed, impaired
driving, and proper use of
safety restraints -- we talked
about before the holiday
weekend were once again
major factors in several in-
jury and fatal crashes this
holiday weekend,” said OSP
Capt. Gerry Gregg, director
of the Patrol Services Divi-
sion.
OSP troopers arrested
81 persons on a charge of
driving under the influence
of intoxicants (DUII),
matching last year’s DUII
arrests for the holiday week-
end. The OSP Bend Area
Command office arrested 12
DUII drivers, six times as
many as were arrested last
year. OSP Klamath Falls
recorded the second-highest
number of DUII arrests (9),
followed by OSP Central
Point with eight.
Besides impaired driv-
ing arrests, the following is
a review of other OSP statis-
tics and examples of investi-
gated incidents:
OSP troopers wrote
more than 1,650 speed-
related citations, an increase
of approximately 20 percent
from last year when 1,330
speed-related citations were
handed out.
OSP troopers cited 250
people for safety belt and
child safety seat violations
and gave another 134 warn-
ings. Last year, 150 citations
and 95 warnings were
given.
OSP troopers assisted
nearly 450 disabled motor-
ists and responded to 187
traffic crashes.
OSP Coos Bay troopers
focused heavy enforcement
on two historical problem
highways, State Routes 38
and 42. Troopers arrested
five DUII drivers, and is-
sued 190 citations, mainly
for speed, unlawful passing,
and other hazardous viola-
tions.
The highest recorded
speed by OSP Coos Bay
troopers was 97 mph. One
woman was stopped and
cited at 79 mph, and then 2
1/2 hours later was stopped
and cited again at 74 mph.
She was so upset at be-
ing stopped and cited a sec-
ond time, said OSP, that
upon leaving she spun
gravel over the citing
trooper and almost struck
another vehicle while enter-
ing back onto the highway.
She was stopped for a third
time and cited for careless
driving.
Folk$ with cell phones most likely ticket dodgers
When you see a police
car on the side of the road,
who’ll be trying to talk their
way out of getting a ticket?
According to a national
survey by Response Insur-
ance, the answer is: drivers
with more money, more
children, higher education,
more testosterone, and
maybe using a cell phone.
The Response Insurance
National Driving Habits
Survey revealed that 22 per-
cent of men (vs. 13 percent
of women) attempt to talk
their way out of being is-
sued a moving violation.
Similarly, making the
attempt were 25 percent of
drivers with incomes of
more than $75,000 (vs. just
16 percent of those making
under $25,000); 21 percent
of drivers with children (vs.
11 percent of singles); and
20 percent of college edu-
cated (vs. 10 percent of
those with less than a high
school diploma).
Additionally, 19 percent
of drivers who talk on cell
phones while behind the
wheel, as opposed to 14 per-
cent of noncell phone users,
try to escape without a fine.
It’s also the perfect time
to avert arboreal headaches
-- now and in the future -- by
taking precautions when un-
dertaking planting projects.
Pacific Power encour-
ages people to stay safe and
avoid problems by planting
the right tree in the right
place.
“Be aware of the loca-
tion of overhead and under-
ground power lines prior to
planting trees,”
said
Gene
Morris, Pacific
Power safety
director.
“Digging with-
out first having
underground
lines located
can result in
serious injury
or even death
if a power line
is contacted.
Locating a tree
too close to
power
lines
also creates a
potentially
dangerous
situation.
“Trees and branches can
conduct electricity when in
contact with power lines,
putting children who climb
in trees, tree workers, our
employees and neighbors at
risk. It also is important to
consider how tall a tree
could end up when fully
mature and how far its
branches might reach.”
Pacific Power offers
these tips to ensure proper
planting of trees:
*Phone your local util-
ity line locating service 48
hours prior to digging to
find out where underground
services including natural
gas, telephone, cable, sewer
and electricity are on your
services.
Phone Pacific power at
(888) 221-7070 for the num-
ber of the free locating ser-
vice in your area.
*Plant trees that will not
grow tall or wide enough to
reach overhead power lines.
Trees planted under power
lines should not grow higher
than 25 feet when mature.
Trees that grow into lines
pose serious safety risks and
are a major cause of power
outages during storms. Plant
tall-growing trees (higher
than 25 feet when mature) at
least 25 feet away from
overhead lines.
*Plant trees and shrubs
at least 10 feet away from
pad-mounted transformers --
the green metal boxes lo-
cated on the ground that
house underground power
cables -- so that employees
can access and repair electri-
cal equipment.
*Ask a nursery for rec-
ommendations on appropri-
ate trees, shrubs or bushes to
plant; or phone Pacific
Power at (888) 375-7085 to
request a free “The Right
Small Places” booklet iden-
tifying appropriate trees to
plant near power lines.
Planting the appropriate
trees can minimize safety
risks and help maintain a
reliable electricity supply
while enhancing the aes-
thetic value of the area.
*Use caution when
pruning trees. Never prune a
tree with power lines run-
ning near or through it or
fall limbs into
power lines.
If trees or
branches con-
tact
power
lines, electric-
ity can be
conducted
through the
trees to you,
causing seri-
ous,
even
fatal, injuries.
Phone your
power com-
pany or an
arborist certi-
fied to work
near power
lines to trim
your trees.
*Keep children from
playing in trees with power
lines running through the
branches.
Also, be careful about
where treehouses are built.
Trees and branches conduct
electricity and can result in
injury or death.
“Taking simple safety
precautions before digging
holes and when selecting
and planting trees helps to
ensure safe and beautiful
yards and neighborhoods,”
said Morris.
For more on the right type
of tree plant or for additional
electric safety information,
phone (888) 375-7085 or visit
www.pacificpower.net.
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