CCSO release by: Captain Sean Sanborn – One of the functions of Law Enforcement, often scoffed at, is Traffic Safety Enforcement. So often, Deputies, Officers, and Troopers in the county hear the words: “Don’t you have something more important to do? There are real criminals out there”. I would reply, “No, this is the most important thing I am doing right now.” Here are some things you may not know. In 2021, 599 Oregonians died as a result of a traffic fatality. In 2022, 602 Oregonians died in traffic fatalities. And to date this year, 116 people have died due to traffic fatalities. Since 2021, a grand total of 1317 Oregonians have perished on our roads. You can find these statistics here: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/data/pages/crash.aspx Many may say that applies to Oregon, but how many crashes do we have in Coos County? I asked that question myself. The Oregon Department of Transportation reports every five years documenting crashes per highway. The latest news came out in 2020, allowing me to look at our five-year crash rate for Coos County. On Cape Arago Highway, there were 62 crashes in 2020. Coos River Highway saw 11 crashes, Powers Highway experienced seven crashes, and Highway 42S saw seven. This is just a sampling of crashes on State highways in our county, representing 87 crashes in five years. These statistics do not represent Highway 101, Highway 42, or county roadways. You can find these statistics here: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Data/Documents/Crash_Rate_Tables_2020.pdf To put this into perspective, since January 1, 2020, to present, there have been 495 instances of “Willful Murder.” And there have been 145 instances of negligent homicide. Regarding violent offenses, that is 640 deceased Oregonians who died due to violence. You can find those statistics here: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/pages/uniform-crime-reporting-data.aspx I do not share these statistics to downplay homicides. The Coos County Sheriff’s Office members vigorously investigate all manners of crime, including homicide. However, based on these statistics, we cannot downplay the deadliness of our roadways. There are so many factors that play into traffic fatalities. Many may have noticed a push for impaired driving enforcement, speed enforcement, pedestrian and crosswalk enforcement, distracted driving enforcement, etc. The reason why these violations are enforced is that they all contribute to roadway deaths in the state. And while I speak a lot about roadway fatalities, I urge you to consider the insurance costs and the property loss rate for these crashes. Please, for the sake of yourself, your neighbors, children, and friends, do not drive intoxicated, stick to hands-free devices, follow the rules of the road, and always use a safety belt. And if you feel the urge, should you be stopped to ask the Deputy, “Don’t you have something better to do?” Again, the answer is absolutely not. But, again, I speak for myself when I say that responding to one traffic fatality is too much, but we know there will not be just one.
