My apologies if this has already been posted...Oregon is increasing penalties for careless driving. -Dar
From: Evan Manvel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Thunderhead] Oregon passes vulnerable roadway users protection To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] While it's not as strong as we originally drafted (and has yet to be signed by the Governor, but wiill be), it's a good step... Bill summary: Increases penalty for offense of careless driving if commission of offense contributed to serious physical injury or death of vulnerable user of public way. Requires person committing offense to complete traffic safety course and perform 100 to 200 hours of community service related to driver improvement. Directs court to impose, but suspend on condition that person complete safety course and community service requirements, fine of up to $12,500, suspend person's driving privileges and set hearing date up to one year from date of sentencing to determine person's compliance with requirements. Requires police officer issuing citation for offense of careless driving to note on citation if cited offense contributed to serious physical injury or death of vulnerable user of public way. Requires defendant who has been issued citation to make first appearance by personally appearing in court at time indicated in summons. The bill: http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/hb3300.dir/hb3314.c.html Evan ---------------- From the Oregonian: Bill protecting cyclists passes Sharing roads - A recent death gives a push to a measure creating tougher penalties for careless drivers Thursday, June 21, 2007 JAMES MAYER SALEM -- A careless driver who kills or seriously injures a cyclist or other "vulnerable" road user will face much stiffer penalties -- up to a year's license suspension and a $12,500 fine -- under a bill that cleared the Oregon Legislature on Wednesday. House Bill 3314 picked up speed after a 26-year-old Idaho woman with a suspended license struck and killed Washington County cyclist Tim O'Donnell as he signaled to make a left turn on a rural road earlier this month. The cyclist's widow, Mary O'Donnell, watched from the gallery as the Senate approved the bill earlier this week. "I would rest easier if I knew that this senseless tragedy could bring some good," she wrote in a letter placed on each lawmaker's desk. The crash, and the news that the driver faces nothing more serious than a $1,115 fine, sparked outrage beyond the cycling community. Newspapers published angry editorials, and voters contacted their legislators. The House took final action on the bill Wednesday, approving Senate amendments. The bill now goes to the governor. The bill provides that when careless driving results in injury or death of a vulnerable user, which includes cyclists, pedestrians, highway workers, horse riders, skateboarders and roller skaters, the driver would face a one-year license suspension and a maximum $12,500 fine. These penalties would not be imposed if the driver completes a traffic safety course and between 100 and 200 hours of community service. The driver would have to appear in court, not just write a check, said Scott Bricker, lobbyist for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the Portland-based organization that has been effective in shepherding a package of bike proposals through the Legislature this session. Another BTA bill that appears headed for approval would require motorists to leave a safe distance when passing bicycles. Bricker said the vulnerable user bill is designed to bridge a gap in Oregon law between careless driving, a traffic infraction that carries a maximum $300 fine, and reckless driving, a criminal offense that can include jail time but can be difficult to prove. The success of HB3314 and other bike-safety measures is a reflection of the increasing competition for the available road space. "It's a recognition of our presence on the road," said Jonathan Maus, a Portland cyclist and bike blogger. "There is a huge difference in the mass and weight of our vehicles, and the more careful we can be around each other, the better." Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego, said the bill is aimed more at education than punishing motorists. "It is well crafted to shape the conduct of people to create better safety," said the judiciary committee chairman. "The penalties are focused on educating people who messed up in a serious way." Rep. Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, complained that the bill lets cyclists escape responsibility. "If you get into an accident as a result of something they do, you are the one who will pay," said Krieger, who voted for the bill Wednesday. For some advocates, the bill doesn't go far enough. A bill creating the crime of aggravated vehicular homicide is likely to die in committee. Bricker said the O'Donnell case gave the vulnerable user bill a push at a critical moment, but he said the proposal had bipartisan support and many champions and would probably have passed in any case. Backers include both judiciary committee chairmen, and lawmaker- cyclists such as Rep. Tobias Read, D-Beaverton, and Sens. Jason Atkinson, R-Grants Pass, and Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, who lost a close friend in a bicycle crash last year. "House Bill 3314 gets the message out to all users of the roads that it's important to drive safely and with respect and to make certain you don't put other people at risk," Prozanski said. James Mayer: 503-294-4109; [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------- Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
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