There is a 7:1 size differential between cars and bicycles, so drivers may not see you to avoid a collision, or if they see you they may not know that, as a cyclist, you have the same right to use the roadway as they do. With rights come responsibilities. Section 814.400 of the Oregon Revised Statutes…
The number of commercial trucks on Portland roads has ballooned since the closing of the Port’s main terminals. Although trucks are vastly outnumbered by cars, the sheer size and weight of just one 18-wheeler or semi truck on Portland roads likens them to a trail of woolly mammoths on wheels. In fact, to be more precise, you…
Congress in December 2016 showed that it favors deregulation over safety when it blocked Obama administration safety rules aimed at keeping tired truckers off the roads. It also pledged to try to block state laws that require additional rest breaks for truckers beyond what federal rules require when it meets in January. Congress Rolls Back…
With no response to its January 13, 2016 petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require cars to use Automatic Braking System (AEB), Consumer Watchdog, the Center for Auto Safety and Joan Claybrook, former NHTSA administrator and president emeritus of Public Citizen filed suit on November 23, 2016. The lawsuit claims the defendants violated…
Portland residents were taken by surprise recently when the city received its first snowfall of 2016. Over an inch of the white stuff fell in the metro area, causing chaos on city roads. Gridlock trapped drivers for several hours throughout the city and on major highways. Public transit delays abounded as drivers abandoned their parked…
Does your mother ever worry about you being on the road after you’ve engorged yourself on an elaborate Thanksgiving feast? How about after the Times Square Ball Drop? Most people perceive driving during the months of November and December as more dangerous than at other times of year, as there are many more car accidents. The…
To prevent a repeat of last winter’s extreme snow and ice accumulations that paralyzed the city for days at a time, Portland plans more widespread use of road salt this year. City Unprepared for Last Year’s Thaw and Freeze Event Last year’s storm was complicated by a short thaw followed by a days-long deep-freeze that…
As soon as the Thanksgiving Day turkey is consumed, there is a heightened awareness of impaired drivers on the road. The holiday season marks the most active for drunk drivers, with the day before Thanksgiving Day, the Thanksgiving Day Weekend, and New Year’s Day experiencing the highest concentration of intoxicated drivers and car accidents in Portland….
Traffic fatalities caused by distracted drivers are increasing every year, and cell phone use is largely to blame. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving overall was a factor in almost 3,200 traffic fatalities in 2014 and nearly 3,500 in 2015 in the mainland U.S. and Puerto Rico. Of those…
Cyclists in Portland shouldn’t have to wait until the annual World Naked Bike Ride to capture your attention. Each year, hundreds of cyclists’ lives are lost in collisions with automobiles. Thousands more are injured. Though cyclists sometimes break the rules of the road just as drivers do, we feel that it is crucial to highlight…