COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • JULY 11, 2018 • 3
A
Billboard of friendly faces has sobering message for drivers
The billboard created by
photographer Bruce Berg
is one of fi ve around the
county aimed at reminding
people of the dangers of
distracted driving, and
texting while driving in
particular.
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
D
rivers on Highway 99
in Cottage Grove are
used to the familiar sites of
the neighborhood. It’s where
the Interstate 5-connector
relieves travelers of highway
speeds and allows them to
glide into the city past one
coff ee chop and then anoth-
er; a stoplight, then a diner
and a gas station; a thrift
store and, just before the
second stoplight — there’s a
new addition to the scene.
Th e billboard hangs just
over where Whitaker Ave.
meets Highway 99 and fea-
tures fi ve teenagers smiling
at passersby. Th e photo is in
black and white and its cre-
ator, Bruce Berg, hopes the
message he’s promoting is
seen and, more importantly,
acknowledged:
Don’t text and drive.
In 2017, Lane County had
the most traffi c deaths of any
other county in the state. Th e
report cited deaths stem-
ming from rollovers, vehi-
cles hitting bicycles, vehicles
hitting standing objects such
as trees and poles, pedestri-
ans being hit and head-on
collisions.
And while the study does
not cite causes for the acci-
dents, distracted driving has
drawn the attention of Ore-
gon lawmakers.
During the 2017 session,
the legislature closed a loop-
hole in state law that origi-
nally prohibited talking on a
cell phone while driving but
did not address other uses
such as scrolling through
social media feeds, texting
or engaging with music and
entertainment apps.
On July 1, penalties for
using a phone in any man-
ner while driving went into
eff ect, including fi nes up to
$2,500 and six months in
jail.
According to the Lane
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce, no
new citations for using a
cell phone were written as of
Monday, July 9.
“Th e new law helped a lot,
I think,” said Berg, who de-
cided to advertise his cause
on fi ve billboards around
the county aft er his daugh-
ter took part in a program
at school called “Every 15
Minutes.”
Th e program stages a car
accident and designates stu-
dents who “died” in the acci-
dents. It’s meant to warn of
the dangers of drinking and
driving but Berg said he was
surprised when his daughter
told him that the experience
only touched on texting and
driving.
“Everyone does it on some
vances have on individuals
as well as society as a whole
— and the sound of notifi -
cations from our phones,
whether it be text alerts, so-
cial media chimes or an old
fashion ring, is making us
anxious.
According to Larry Ros-
en, professor at California
State University, Domin-
quez Hills, the average
person checks their phone
60 times a day. Rosen au-
thored, “Th e Distracted
Mind: Ancient Brains in a
COURTESY PHOTOS
High-Tech World.”
In the book, he notes that
level,” Berg said. “And teen-
agers have admitted to doing the sound of cell phone no-
tifi cations can produce an
it too.”
A 2015 statistic from the anxiety over what we may be
Department of Motor Ve- being alerted to that makes it
hicles notes that 46 percent diffi cult to ignore the notifi -
of teenagers nationwide had cation. Th e sound of a noti-
reported texting while driv- fi cation produces a physical
ing at some point since get- reaction for the cell phone
ting their license. And while owner.
Th e teenagers featured on
state agencies, school pro-
grams and parents like Berg Berg’s billboard had to make
are attempting to educate a promise; they wouldn’t text
people about the dangers of and drive and Berg hopes
texting and driving, stop- they live up to that promise.
“Th ey’re being held ac-
ping the potentially deadly
countable in a way,” said
habit might not be so easy.
With every new techno- Berg. “Maybe their friends
logical advance, comes the see them texting and driving
institutional studies that ex- and say, ‘Hey you’re on that
amine the eff ects these ad- billboard.’”
LORANE NEWS
• Th ank you to all who efi t for Michael and Amber cial thanks to all who orga- all who donated.
came out to support the ben- on Saturday. Also, a very spe- nized and worked on it, and
• Th e annual Crow Car
Show is this Saturday, July
14, at Crow Middle/High
School. Th ere will be many
Cottage Theatre presents
exciting events for all ages
a CT PLAY Melodrama
and an amazing array of cars
and great food. Th is is the
major Crow Booster Club
fundraiser for the schools
in our district, so come sup-
port our kids.
• Lorane Grange meets on
Th ursday, July 19 at 7 p.m.
Th at is also the week of the
Lane County Fair. Grange
Day is on Wednesday, July18
with Grangers serving free
cookies and coff ee.
Kids can get in free with
a dressed veggie or fruit, for
those up to 10 years old.
Be sure to vote for your fa-
vorite grange booth. See you
at the fair.
• Sign up for the commu-
nity-wide garage sale Aug.
4 to have your home on the
map.
Call Jeri Porter to rent a
table at Lorane Grange.
Both are $10.
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