The Oregon Department of Transportation is looking at the root cause of an increasing factor in deadly crashes: distracted driving.
ODOT put out a call for task force members to help address the problem, and the task force is now calling for action in legislation and communications & education.
Tom Fuller, Communications Manager for ODOT, says for the legislative side, there are bills being considered right now in Salem that would increase penalties and increase enforcement opportunities for police. On the communications & education side, they’re looking to launch a state-wide campaign to work together with drivers to have healthy driving habits, rather than letting the phone and technology pull drivers away from their number one job while on the road: driving.
Fuller says they know this big problem needs big solutions, and they are working with partners across the country to help design a campaign that would actually make a difference.
To see preliminary information on the distracted driving campaign and what ODOT is doing right now to help make our roads safer, visit Oregon.gov and click on the communications page.