Posted: Tuesday, December 30, 2008 12:00 am
Oregon State Police on Monday gave a report on Christmas holiday traffic fatalities and also offered safety tips for the upcoming New Year's holiday.
Five people were killed in five separate traffic crashes between 6 p.m. Dec. 24 and midnight Sunday. One was a Corvallis woman who died following a crash on Highway 101 north of Seal Rock.
During last year's Christmas holiday period, two people were killed in two separate crashes.
OSP preliminary DUII enforcement statistics show troopers arrested 50 impaired drivers, about the same number as last year.
OSP and the Oregon Department of Transportation are offering these tips for a safe New Year's:
• Don't drink and drive (buzzed driving is drunken driving), and don't ride with anyone who has had too much to drink.
• Never use illegal drugs.
• Volunteer to be a designated driver.
• If someone who's been drinking insists on driving, take his/her keys.
• If hosting a gathering, provide non-alcoholic beverages.
• Use public transit or local drive-home services.
• Always use safety restraints.
• Avoid travel after midnight, especially on weekends or holidays.
• Always drive defensively.
• Report any suspected impaired driving by calling 1-800-24DRUNK (800-243-7865) or 911.
Democrat-Herald