Being a car accident injury lawyer in Oregon (since 1991 and in Washington State since 1994) plus driving for 27 years accident free, I may not be safer than others when driving. I will provide my personal safe car driving tips- these safe driving tips may provide for a safer car driving experience and perhaps help one drive safer.

In order to avoid a three car pile up always keep at least two car lengths from your front end and the car ahead of you when you stop. Remember when driving on the freeway, highway or
streets to keep that 3 second rule in mind. The best way to count, is watch the car in front of you. Once it passes anything stable, count until you pass it. If you are 3 seconds or shorter, hold back and keep the distance longer.

My second safe car driving tip is to plan your trips at non rush hour times like 10:00am, 11:00am, 2:00pm, 3:00pm. Also when driving during rush hour times try and stay away from heavily used streets, highways and freeways.

My third safe car driving tip is to always look both ways when crossing through intersections when driving in Oregon and Washington. Oregon and Washington driving accident statistics show consistent car crash accident at many intersections and oftentimes intersection car accident are often the most high impact and serious injury events.

My fourth and final safe car driving tip is to always make eye contact with the drivers when you are a pedestrian. Drivers can not read your mind and don’t know if you are actually going, pointing, waiting or just standing at the corner. Use hand gestures to let the driver know if they should go instead of yourself walking.

Portland Oregon is fortunate to have the many buses, light rail and streetcars we have that make life better for the overall public and transportation grid. For this we have many politicians with foresight to be thankful for. These three travel options can take you all around Portland and into the neighboring areas for little cost but what risk do we take when trying to be a model citizen and “bus it”? Though the drivers of TriMet buses, TriMet Street Cars and Max Light Rail have gone through training and safety classes your safety as a pedestrian is always your number on job.

When you are riding a bike or walking around buses, light rail and the streetcar, there are many dangerous situations you need to look out for. Watch for signals, yield signs and any traffic signs that warn you of any dangers ahead. These different objects are there to protect those on the bus and those around the bus. Be sure, as a biker or pedestrian, that you always watch out for such danger.

TriMet buses in Portland Oregon can legally travel into the bike lane if they are pulling over to let someone on or off the bus. All bus operators in the state of Oregon are required by law to use their turn signal to move into another lane or come to a stop. As a biker, stay a good distance behind the bus to insure you see a signal. With this constant stopping, remember never to pass a bus on the right. Always pass on the left. If a bus pulls over into the bike lane, the best thing to do it pull your bike as far over to the curb as you can. Get off your bike and stand on the curb. This way you are always away from any danger of a car.

When you do go to pass a bus, light rail or streetcar try and make eye contact with the driver. If necessary, wave so they can see you and make the correct decisions based on the knowledge you are there.

Be sure to always look for signs that can alert you of danger. There are many “Bus Only” signs around the Rose Quarter and Beaverton Transit Center. Those signs are there for your protection.

When it comes to the MAX Light Rail the light rail racks can be very slippery even if they are dry. It is best to always walk your bike across the tracks. There are track beds that the MAX travels on. When you decide to cross those track beds, make sure you ride straight on and not at an angle. If you ride at an angle, it is possible for your tires to get caught. There is additional safety information at www.trimet.org

Just in March, there was a bike rider in Portland which slipped and fell while riding her bike across the MAX track which was located at I-205 and Burnside. This biker is now trying to lobby TriMet to take a more serious look at their track beds and what they use to keep pedestrians and bikes from slipping.

TriMet is taking all safety concerns seriously. As posted on this website:
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/circulars/ec058/08_02_Irwin.pdf “Safety treatments included additional signage, swing gates, channeling, detectablewarnings, “Stop Here” markings, audible-visual warning devices, and automatic pedestriangates. Risky behavior was monitored before and after installation of the safety treatments.
While difficult to measure, TriMet concluded that the treatments increased pedestriansafety awareness in certain applications. This led to the development by TriMet of “Light RailCrossing Safety” criteria. The criteria standardize certain devices and treatments so that they are
consistent within the TriMet light rail system.”

Above everything, be safe. Always watch for all forms of transportation and follow signs that tell of danger. Those signs are there to help protect you.

Commercial vehicles range from armored cars, cement trucks, fire trucks, PGE, other utility vehicles and UPS Trucks. On any injury claim in Oregon or Washington State the commercial truck or vehicle has a heightened duty of care to regular car drivers, bicycles, and pedestrians. This is because the operators of such rigs have a commercial driving license and owe the greater public more care.

Commercial drivers are made more responsible to others in Oregon and Washington state because the business entities are on the road for the purpose of making profits and their much larger utility trucks injure more because they are simply bigger. Bigger at-fault trucks may result in greater injury including death to pedestrians, cars, and walkers.

Questions often addressed in the car accident cases involving commercial vehicles include such factors as: did the side mirrors have bubble convex mirrors to give the driver a broader range of view, did the utility vehicle have a warning sound which would emit and warn pedestrians to prevent run-overs, and finally did the commercial driver fully keep a proper lookout before executing a right or left hand turn.

I have worked on these in the last 16 years in Oregon and Washington car accident law. For commercial driver saying the injured person was in their blind spot is a cop-out because they are statutorily made to take these extra measures as to protect the public at large.