A rather unusual fact about Oregon’s roads is that, in recent years, the majority of fatalities have occurred in its rural areas, rather than in the more typical urban zones. Normally, in any state or city, incidents are primarily concentrated in urbanized, commercial areas and on four or six-lane highways. However, today we will take a comprehensive look at the various factors that make rural Oregon a statistical anomaly.
Fatal Accidents (2021)
- Urban:
- 33,577 total accidents
- 241 fatalities
- 17,700 injuries
- 16,526 property damage incidents
- Rural:
- 11,768 total accidents
- 311 fatalities
- 6,029 injuries
- 5,378 property damage incidents
Across all subcategories, fatalities are most frequent on:
- Primary state highways: 145 fatal accidents
- County and local roads: 116 fatal accidents in rural areas
We can observe that, with nearly one-third of the total number of accidents, the fatality rate is higher in rural areas by 29.05% compared to the fatal accidents in major urban areas like Portland.
A Broad Overview
Speeding, drinking, and other improper driving behaviors, such as driving left of center, are the leading causes of the majority of fatalities.
Most casualties are individuals between the ages of 25 and 65, meaning our professionals, citizens, workers, and people contributing to the city’s progress are the primary victims of these neglects. Out of 830 fatalities, 566 were Oregon residents.
In only 128 out of 369 cases were the roads wet or snowy. The remaining incidents occurred under clear and optimal driving conditions. However, dusk to nightfall is the time period with the highest number of recorded incidents.
Rural Fatalities in Oregon
- Total Accidents: 311
- Off-Road Accidents: 158
- On-Road Accidents: 153
- Key Causes:
- Collisions with Fixed Objects:
- 130 accidents
- 136 fatalities
- Collisions with Motor Vehicles:
- 120 accidents
- 147 fatalities
- 185 injuries
- Collisions with Fixed Objects:
- Total Fatalities: 344
- Men: 250
- Women: 94
These figures highlight the dangers posed by road distractions, collisions with roadside paraphernalia, and other hazards in rural ways.
Accidents Involving Motorhomes
Motorhomes in Oregon are vehicles used by a relatively small segment of the population, yet they are influential enough to warrant their own category in traffic statistics.
In 2021, there were 51 accidents involving motorhomes, with 2 resulting in fatalities and 28 causing property damage. The most common causes of these accidents were collisions with fixed objects and vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Wet and dark conditions also posed challenges for these vehicles, given their slower maneuverability. Another frequent cause of accidents was driving out of center, a risky behavior that can occur in the blink of an eye, even for experienced drivers.
Accidents Involving Motorcycles
Motorcycles accounted for nearly 10% of the fatal accidents in Oregon in 2021, with 80 out of 846 total fatalities involving these vehicles. A significant portion of these accidents occurred while the motorcycles were in motion, with 23 out of 41 incidents involving moving vehicles, and 12 collisions involving fixed objects.
Most motorcycle accidents, 39 out of 64, took place on minor county and tertiary roads, rather than on major highways. In fact, 41% of these accidents occurred off-road, with only 2 cases reported on Interstate highways.
The majority of the victims, 28 out of 44, were men aged between 25 and 65, highlighting that these accidents predominantly affected a specific demographic of male riders.
In accidents involving multiple vehicles, 7 crashes occurred with vehicles moving in the same direction, while 6 were with vehicles moving in the opposite direction.
Speeding, drinking, and failing to yield were identified as the top three contributing factors in these fatal motorcycle accidents. Despite dry conditions and daylight, which are typically considered safer for driving, these factors still led to severe outcomes.
Finally, 8 of the deceased were non-residents, possibly tourists exploring Oregon’s roads, emphasizing the broader impact of these dangerous incidents beyond the local population.
Accidents Involving Pedestrians
Pedestrian fatalities in Oregon are more common at non-intersection locations, with 64 deaths occurring away from intersections compared to 23 at intersections. Of those occurring at non-intersections, 167 involved collisions with fixed objects. Notably, 8 pedestrians lost their lives while not being on a roadway, and 3 were killed by vehicles backing up. A troubling statistic shows that 37 pedestrians were struck while crossing where they should not have been.
In rural areas, 1 in 5 pedestrian accidents is fatal, with 8 out of 10 involving cars going straight. Alarmingly, 3 pedestrians were struck and killed simply for standing on the side of the road, whether waiting for transportation, seeking help, or moving along the emergency lane. Alcohol consumption, on either side, played a role in 50% of these incidents. Additionally, 7 out of 10 rural pedestrian fatalities occurred in darkness, with 4 of these happening on wet roadways.
Accidents Involving Cyclists
Similar to motorcycle fatalities, all 7 cyclist fatalities in smaller areas of Oregon occurred at non-intersection locations. The most common contributing factors were failure to yield and other forms of improper driving. Each of these deaths involved passenger cars, with one incident involving a car towing a sub-trailer. The ages of the victims ranged from 19 to 21, with 4 of the 7 fatalities occurring at night. All of the deceased were local residents, highlighting the risks faced by cyclists within their own communities.
Traffic statistics provided by Transportation Data Section Crash Analysis and Reporting Unit of OSDT.