Oregon and Washington state have been recognized by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) for receiving the highest scores in the country in a new roadway safety scorecard. The report is titled, "2008 ENA National Scorecard on State Roadway Laws: A Blueprint for Injury Prevention" and it ranks states based on 13 types of legislation that address issues such as seat belt use, graduated driver licensing for teens, and universal motorcycle helmet requirements.

The 2008 Oregon Transportation Safety Conference was a big success this year. Highlights included educational sessions with a focus on engineering, enforcement, safety belts, tribal safety efforts, technology, EMS, and walking and biking. "Looking Beyond the Traffic Ticket" and "Oregon Transportation Safety" awards were presented at the conference to leaders in traffic safety. Congratulations and thank you to award winners for making a positive difference in the lives of Oregonians.

Car crashes cause more teen deaths each year than drugs, violence or suicide. Research points to in- and out-of-the car distractions as the #1 cause of fatal crashes. Unfortunately, one of the major distractions teen drivers face are peer passengers. During National Teen Driver Safety Week, join us in our campaign to prevent fatal crashes by encouraging safe passenger behaviors.

The Crash Analysis and Reporting (CAR) Unit provides motor vehicle crash data through multiple reports that can be found on their web site.

The Governors Advisory Committee on Motorcycle Safety is requesting public input at several listening sessions around the state of Oregon.