HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-09 Distracted Driver Awarness MonthRESOLUTION NO.2024 - 09
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND,
OREGON DECLARING THE MONTH OF APRIL - DISTRACTED DRIVER
AWARENESS MONTH
RECITALS:
A. The Council adopted Resolution 2024-05 supporting Vision Zero.
B. The safety of the city's streets and the safety of residents and visitors to Ashland are among the
City Council's top priorities.
C. According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80 percent of collisions and 65 percent of
near collisions involve some form of driver distraction.
D. Local collisions statistics show that approximately 80 percent of local street crashes involve a
vehicle driver colliding with a fixed object (a parked vehicle, curb, tree, light post, etc); likely
attributable to distracted driving.
E. The NHTSA defines "distracted driving" as any non -driving activity a person engages in while
operating a motor vehicle. Such distractions endanger drivers, passengers, people walking or riding
a bicycle, using a wheelchair or other mobility device; and
F. Engaging in activities such as talking on a phone, texting, checking social media or email,
selecting music, or other uses of portable devices while driving increase the risk of a crash by three
times; and
G. Text messaging, which requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver, is by far
the riskiest and alarming of distractions; and
H. Distracted driving is a serious, life -threatening practice that is preventable; and
I. Distracted driving has been shown to lead to death and life -altering injuries for those involved in
crash caused by distracted driving, and
J. In order to reduce the number of crashes as well as improve driver safety, all motorists should
dedicate themselves to adopting and maintaining safe behavior while behind the wheel.
THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
The Ashland City Council does hereby proclaim APRIL 2024 as DISTRACTED DRIVING
AWARENESS MONTH and calls this observance to the attention of all residents and encourages
increased awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
SECTION 2.
The Council asks residents and visitors to refrain from the following behaviors while driving:
o Eyes off the road (visual).
o Mind off the road (cognitive).
o Hands off the steering wheel (manual)
SECTION 3.
The Council asks residents and visitors regardless of their mode of travel to dedicate their full
attention while using the City's transportation network.
SECTION 4. This Resolution takes effect upon signing by the Mayor. This resolution was duly
PASSED and ADOPTED this_4_day of April, 16 2024.
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SIGNED and APPROVED this_day of April, 16 2024.
Tonya Graham, Mayor
Reviewed as to form: q_ /G. 2 Y
Douglas McGeary
City Attorney
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