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Lane County Has The Highest Number of Traffic Fatalities Statewide

Oregon State Police

Lane County has the unhappy distinction of having the highest rate of traffic fatalities of any Oregon county. Leaders hope to increase road safety and heighten awareness of the problem.

Credit Oregon State Police

In 2015, 57 people were killed and 3,242 injured on Lane County roads. Nationally, there was an 8 percent increase in traffic fatalities. Oregon leads that statistic with a 27 percent increase. Lane County Commissioner Sid Leiken says the Oregon Transportation Department has funded a consultant to help improve traffic safety.

Leiken: “What can we do to help combat this? Because this is not what Lane County want to be known for is the state with the highest traffic fatalities in the State of Oregon.”

Leiken says county public works has been investigating where accidents occur and how signage can help drivers slow down on rural roads. Lane County, Eugene, Springfield, Coburg and Lane Transit District have joined together in the Safe Lane Transportation Coalition to address traffic safety.

 

Copyright 2017 KLCC

Rachael McDonald is News Director at KLCC. She’s been with the station for more than 10 years. Previously, she established the Richland, Washington bureau for the Northwest News Network. She also worked as News Director at KAZU in Monterey, California. Rachael has won numerous awards for her reporting.