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East Oregonian
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Crashes: ODOT envisions zero deaths on Oregon roads by 2020
Continued from Page A1
age of four crashes a day.
The highest annual total
during that period, 1,608
crashes, came in 2017 when
a January blizzard buried
and closed roads across the
state.
Truck drivers were at
fault in 50% of crashes while
mechanical issues with the
truck were at fault in just 2%
of cases, state data shows.
That means 2,849 crashes
were caused by outside fac-
tors, such as other drivers or
brutal weather conditions.
ODOT uses police reports
to establish where to place
fault. Police put the blame
on drivers for a number of
reasons, but at the top of
the list are speeding, fail-
ing to remain in their own
lane, following too closely,
improperly changing lanes
and failing to pay attention.
ODOT won’t release
numbers for 2019 until all
investigations are finalized
to determine fault, but the
agency does report its year-
to-date numbers to the Fed-
eral Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
halfway
through the year.
According to federal
data, there were 858 truck
crashes in Oregon as of June
30, with 23 fatalities and
289 injuries. The early num-
bers are on track to meet
or slightly exceed Oregon’s
average over the previous
five years.
The Federal Motor Car-
rier Safety Administra-
tion also rates Oregon for
its response to crashes
and inspection of trucks.
The agency gave the state
a “good” rating on its last
assessment, with a score of
90% or better in all 10 cri-
teria, including inspection
timeliness, accuracy and
completeness.
“I think that rating
reflects the importance that
safety has in Oregon. It’s
our number one priority
across all of ODOT,” said
David House, spokesman
for ODOT’s Motor Carrier
Division.
According to House, Ore-
gon’s rating isn’t about com-
paring itself to other states,
rather looking at where it
can do better in efforts to
educate, train and inspect
motor carriers across the
state.
While truck miles trav-
eled continue to climb,
increasing by 10% between
2008 and 2018, Oregon’s
truck crash rate is declin-
ing, the state data showed.
From 2005 to 2008, Ore-
gon averaged 1.13 crashes
per million vehicle miles
traveled. Between 2015 and
2018, the state’s average
dropped to 0.80. Oregon’s
crash rate reached its lowest
in a decade at 0.73 in 2018
with more than 1.93 billion
miles traveled by trucks in
the state.
All truck at-fault crashes
reached a seven-year low
in 2018 of just 0.36 crashes
per million vehicle miles
traveled.
“It’s encouraging that
the (crash) rate isn’t going
up in proportion to vehicle
miles traveled, that doesn’t
mean we can’t make it better
and improve things through
Oregon Capital Bureau Photo/Sam Stites
Weighmaster Tom Avila weighs a Freightliner tractor-trailer as it
moves across the scales located at the Woodburn port of entry.
enforcement,
education,
engineering of roadways
and emergency response,”
House said.
In 2016, ODOT adopted
a new transportation safety
plan that envisions zero
deaths on Oregon’s roads
by 2035. The Motor Car-
rier Division is responsible
for three of the four areas
crucial to ODOT’s vision:
education, enforcement and
emergency response.
Those functions are
administered from 173
inspection and weigh sta-
tions located throughout
Oregon, but only a handful
are open full time. Those
include the ports of entry in
Ashland, Woodburn, Klam-
ath Falls, Cascade Locks
and Huntington.
The trucking industry is
mostly regulated by the fed-
eral government, but licens-
ing and registration is han-
dled by states. That means
education plays a huge role
in the state’s efforts to con-
tinually improve safety.
In that effort, ODOT
has a partner in the Oregon
Trucking Associations, the
trade organization of close
to 600 members that advo-
cates for Oregon’s truck
companies and drivers. The
organization also provides
training and information on
new rules and regulations
related to safety.
Jana Jarvis, trucking
association president, said
clamping down on dis-
tracted driving is currently a
top priority.
“We work closely with the
Motor Carrier Division and
try to give them feedback
on what works and doesn’t
work,” said Jarvis. “Safety
is the number one priority
for our organization.”
Jarvis
and
Waylon
Buchan, the association’s
director of government
affairs, lobby at the state and
federal level.
Continued from Page A1
will go online in January
under the “general pub-
lic” heading on their home
page. For now, what infor-
mation is available can be
found at dor.wa.gov/find-
taxes-rates/retail-sales-tax/
sales-nonresidents.
Plastic bags
Starting Jan. 1, stores will
no longer be able to give
out single-use plastic bags
at check-out, although bags
used for meat and produce
will be exempt. Stores will
also be required to charge
at least 5 cents per bag for
paper, reusable bags or other
alternatives.
Real ID
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Players and fans gather on the court at Pioneer Hall in Echo for a candlelight ceremony in
support and remembrance of those affected by cancer during the 13th annual Bouncin’
Cancer basketball tournament Saturday afternoon. The tournament raises funds to assist
in covering expenses for those undergoing cancer treatment.
Neighbor: ‘The environment
is pretty different out here’
— for the kids and she said
they’re now a staple at the
salad bar.
And while Dutcher
seems at ease in the Uma-
tilla community, she never
thought she’d move to Ore-
gon in the first place. Born
in Napa Valley, Calif., she
said Southern Oregon Uni-
versity was last on her list
during the college applica-
tion process years ago.
“But then I saw Ashland
and fell in love. Wow, I am
in love with Oregon,” she
said.
But before getting her
interdisciplinary
degree
centered around environ-
mental science, Spanish,
outdoor leadership and sus-
tainability, Dutcher took a
solo trip abroad to Southeast
Asia and South America
right after high school.
“It was a lot of being
uncomfortable most of the
time and not knowing where
you’re going to be sleeping
one night or not knowing
people,” she said. “Letting
that discomfort in and real-
izing it’s what you chose.”
The journey introduced
her to many things she’d
never tried before, including
rock climbing.
“I haven’t stopped since,”
she said.
An outdoor enthusi-
ast, she’s still trying to find
her footing in the sage des-
ert landscape of Eastern
Oregon.
“The environment is
pretty different out here,
and that was big for me,” she
said.
But that hasn’t stopped
her from trying new things.
She said she enjoyed walk-
ing nature trails over the
summer, and she recently
signed up for a ceramics
class in the area. She’s also
taking time to learn a lit-
tle bit more about plants in
Oregon.
Dutcher said that just a
few weeks ago, she found
the perfect word to describe
Umatilla — accepting.
“No matter where any-
one has come from or what
they’ve experienced, peo-
ple are so accepting in this
community. It’s blown me
away,” she said.
But her job and new sur-
roundings aren’t without
challenges. Dutcher said it’s
been difficult to transition
from a college atmosphere
outdated registration and
not carrying chains when
required. Most of those cita-
tions require the driver to
fix the issue within a certain
amount of time, others carry
monetary penalties.
According to data, one
in five citations is seri-
ous enough that inspectors
place a truck out of service
until fixes can be made on
the spot or the truck towed.
That’s on par with national
statistics.
“If safety is your prior-
ity, then enforcement isn’t
about punishment, it’s about
education,” House said. “We
don’t want to punish you or
put you out of business. We
want you to do it right.”
Jeff Brown, Motor Car-
rier Division safety man-
ager, agreed. Instead of
bringing a heavy-handed
approach, he instructs his
105 inspectors statewide
to encourage drivers to ask
questions.
For Brown, prevent-
ing accidents and massive
traffic disruption caused
by crashes — like the
fiery Woodburn incident
— begins with those con-
tacts between inspectors
and drivers, where ODOT
can be an ally rather than
antagonist.
“I would love to be a
resource for every driver
out there to try to help. I
think it’s critical that we do
that,” Brown said. “We have
to enforce regulations, and
sometimes that’s unfortu-
nate, but at the same time,
the more informed everyone
is out there, the better off we
are.”
Laws: Cyclists no longer need to stop
Bouncin’ Cancer
Continued from Page A1
In recent years, the big-
gest change they’ve seen to
improve safety was a federal
mandate to use electronic
log books to better track
driver hours and enforce
breaks. Before the 2017
mandate, drivers did their
logbooks by hand, allowing
some drivers to fudge their
numbers to continue driving
and earning.
Jarvis said the trucking
association supported the
change.
“We’re always going to
have safety as part of the cal-
culation whether supporting
or not supporting something
because ultimately we want
our drivers and passengers
on the road to get home
safely,” Jarvis said.
Enforcement of regula-
tions is also an important
part of ODOT’s safety equa-
tion, but the agency’s atti-
tude toward enforcement
has shifted in recent years
from punishing truckers and
trucking companies to edu-
cating them.
In 2018, the Motor Carrier
Division completed 18,549
inspections and issued
more than 3,500 warnings
and citations. That’s down
from the 22,573 inspections
Motor Carrier completed in
2016.
By mid-November, the
agency had issued more than
2,900 warnings and cita-
tions from 16,516 inspec-
tions. Drivers can be cited
for improper maintenance
of critical systems, includ-
ing brakes or how loads
are secured, weight viola-
tions, failure to maintain a
medical exam certificate,
where friends live nearby,
to living alone in the new
place.
“I’m really grateful for
this time, and I’m hoping to
come out of the job, and this
place without many people I
am close to, more comfort-
able with myself,” she said.
And when it comes to
teaching kids about how to
make healthy food choices,
there can be a disconnect
between the dream and the
reality of the job.
“Sometimes the healthier
option is way more expen-
sive than what I’m trying to
steer kids away from,” she
said. “It’s been rough trying
to battle that. I’m trying to
figure out a happy medium
of what’s doable.”
She’s not sure yet where
her adventures will find
her this time next year, but
Dutcher seems glad she
came.
“I feel really grateful
I was put in this commu-
nity in particular,” she said.
“It’s allowed me to know a
part of Oregon that I didn’t
know beforehand. I’m find-
ing so many beautiful things
about it. If you’d just driven
through to stop for gas,
you’d never know.”
As of Oct. 1, 2020, regular
Oregon driver’s licenses will
no longer be valid to board
a commercial flight, enter a
secure federal facility, such
as a military base, or do other
activities where a federally
approved form of identifica-
tion is required.
After Oct. 1, Oregonians
who want to take a flight will
have to use another form of
approved identification, such
as a passport, or apply for a
new type of driver’s license
called a Real ID. The state
hopes to have the federally
approved Real IDs available
through the Department of
Motor Vehicles starting in
July after finishing a “major
IT overhaul,” according to
the department’s website.
Real IDs will be optional,
and those getting them will
be required to pay the DMV’s
fee for replacement of a driv-
er’s license, plus a yet-to-be-
determined additional Real
ID fee. The newly issued
Real ID will have the same
expiration date as the per-
son’s current driver’s license,
so people whose licenses
expire soon after the Real
IDs are available are advised
they may want to wait until it
is time to renew their license.
Should someone choose
not to upgrade to a Real ID,
a standard Oregon driver’s
licenses will still be good for
activities, such as driving,
purchasing alcohol, register-
ing to vote or applying for
benefits.
Voting
In 2020, Oregon will con-
tinue its quest to make voting
as convenient as possible by
not charging for postage to
mail in ballots. During the
next election, Oregonians
will simply be able to drop
their ballot in the mail with-
out a stamp.
Bicycling
Starting Jan. 1, bicy-
clists are allowed to proceed
through an intersection with
a stop sign or traffic signal
without stopping, providing
they proceed at a safe speed
and yield to vehicles and
pedestrians.
Revenge porn
As of 2020, it will be a
crime in Oregon to distrib-
ute intimate photos or vid-
eos of a person without their
consent. The photos or vid-
eos qualify as revenge porn
under the law if they show
a person’s “intimate parts”
or show them engaging in a
sex act, the subject is identi-
fiable, they did not give per-
mission and could reasonably
be expected to be “harassed,
humiliated or injured by the
disclosure.”
Previously, the law only
covered posting such content
to a website, but now adds
any other methods of dissem-
ination, such as text message,
email, private messaging in
apps or handing out physi-
cal copies. It also allows vic-
tims to sue for up to $5,000
in damages. The crime is a
Class A misdemeanor for a
first offense and Class C fel-
ony it the perpetrator has a
prior record of such offenses.
Calling 911
Using the police as a
weapon to harass someone
will be a risky move starting
Jan. 1, as a law takes effect
allowing people to seek civil
damages from someone who
summoned police with the
intent to infringe on the per-
son’s rights, discriminate
against them, cause them to
feel harassed or embarrassed,
expel them from a place where
they are legally allowed to be
or damage their reputation or
financial standing.
The law was put in place to
address reports of incidents in
which white callers called 911
on people of color for legal
activities, such as holding a
barbecue.
Marijuana convictions
Starting in January, the
aptly named Senate Bill 420
will allow people with past
marijuana convictions to
petition to clear their record.
The bill was passed in rec-
ognition that while Oregon
legalized possession of user
amounts of recreational mar-
ijuana in 2015, many people
have criminal records based
on possession pre-2015.
Those convictions, for some-
thing that is now legal, can
hold them back from obtain-
ing jobs and housing.
After Jan. 1, people who
have “qualifying marijuana
convictions” can petition the
court to set aside their con-
viction and seal the record,
making it as if it never hap-
pened. As long as the convic-
tion fits under the definition
laid out by the law, the court
must grant the motion.
A qualifying convic-
tion means the person was
found to possess less than 1
ounce of marijuana or other
behavior described in ORS
475B.301, the offense hap-
pened before July 1, 2015,
and the person fully com-
plied with the requirements
of their sentence.
Employment
Employees in Oregon will
receive a variety of new pro-
tections in January.
Pregnant workers will be
among those who receive new
protections under the law.
Employers will be required
to provide reasonable accom-
modations, such as assis-
tance with manual labor or
more frequent bathroom
breaks, to pregnant employ-
ees. They will also be prohib-
ited from denying someone
employment, requiring them
to take a leave of absence or
otherwise retaliating or dis-
criminating against them for
requesting accommodations
for their pregnancy.
Employers will also be
required to create anti-ha-
rassment policies for their
workplace, and will no longer
be allowed to force employ-
ees to sign nondisclosure
agreements restricting them
from talking about harass-
ment or discrimination they
experienced at the company.
Minimum wage
Minimum wage will
increase once again in July,
as part of a law passed by the
legislature in 2016 that set
up regular increases through
2022. This year, minimum
wage in Oregon will increase
to $12 in “standard” coun-
ties (mostly found on the
west side of the state), $13.25
in metro counties, such as
Clackamas and Multnomah,
and $11.50 in rural counties.
Umatilla and Morrow coun-
ties fall into the rural cate-
gory, as do all counties east
of Sherman County.