This year’s fatal traffic crash statistics show a tiny bit of good news amid the somber march of fatal wrecks and unexplained hit-and-runs: they’re heading downward.
According to a study by The Oregonian/OregonLive, as of Thursday, there were 57 road fatalities in the city, down from 62 at the same period last year.
With four deadly wrecks on Christmas alone, the death toll in 2023 increased to 69 by the end of the year, and by the end of the holiday season this year, the figures are probably going to increase as well. However, Portland will have roughly 8% fewer traffic fatalities than the previous year if the trendline persists.
In a news release on Thursday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation verified the findings.
The fact that 2023 was the deadliest year for traffic crashes in Portland in thirty years and that this year’s numbers are still high when compared to the 2000s or 2010s is not encouraging for those who push for traffic safety.
According to Scott Kocher, a lawyer who frequently represents cyclists and pedestrians hurt on the roads, it’s too soon to celebrate. There are numerous reasons to believe that we have not made much headway in keeping Portland’s streets safe for drivers, pedestrians, and pedestrians alike.
Many hypotheses have been put up by experts to explain the rise in road fatalities in the country since 2020. Some blame cellphone use, societal standards, or drivers’ desire to weigh their options before purchasing a new SUV or pickup.
After going over hundreds of pages of 2023 traffic data, The Oregonian/OregonLive found certain terrible yet recurring patterns. Intoxication, speed, careless driving, and dim lighting were factors in several of the fatal collisions.
The Police Bureau redirected personnel to other tasks, such as social justice demonstrations, during the pandemic, reducing their involvement in traffic enforcement.
Since then, police have reorganized the Traffic Division and patrol the area seven days a week for unsafe drivers between the hours of 5 p.m. and 3 a.m., when the majority of deadly collisions take place. On holidays when traffic is heavy, local police have often joined up with state troopers to conduct traffic assignments.
After personnel numbers improve, the Police Bureau plans to establish a daytime patrol shift for scofflaw drivers, according to Traffic Division Sgt. Ty Engstrom.
At a press conference earlier this month, he stated, “We have just created this culture where Portland is a playground and there are no repercussions, and people get away with things here.” Realistically, we respond by having a very proactive Traffic Division.
Since the city’s transportation bureau and police department employ somewhat different methods to count road fatalities, it is reasonable for Portlanders to be perplexed by reports of a decline in traffic fatalities.
The Police Bureau includes intentional homicides in its count, as well as suicides, people who die more than 30 days after a crash and those not involving any cars, like when a pedestrian is run over by a train.
Those cases are not included in the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
In the end, however, every traffic death is one too many, and Portland s rate of roadway deaths remain elevated now compared with the past two decades.
Traffic deaths, according to Police Bureau data, reached a near all-time-low with just 27 recorded in 2000. According to PPB, traffic fatalities would remain below 50 annually till 2017.
Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-319-7083,[email protected]@pdxzane.
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