Memorial Day weekend kicks off summer travel and dangerous time for teen drivers | News

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – AAA predicts more than 38 million people across the United States will travel for Memorial Day weekend. They also say the holiday marks the start of a deadly period for teen driving.

Drivers stopping to refuel at the Arco, at the corner of Gateway and Beltline in Springfield, said they will do a number of things to stay safe while traveling over the holiday weekend .

“Don’t be in a hurry, take it slow,” said Craig Peters, of Harrisburg. “Keep your eyes open and look around you when changing lanes. Give yourself enough room to stop.

He said he was traveling to spend the holidays in Port Orford – about 160 miles away. With his boat in tow, he worked to maintain every part of his truck, large and small. He checked the pressure on all his tires, changed the oil in his truck, and tied everything down.

“Well, seeing your boat fall off the trailer onto the highway would be a tragedy,” Peters said.

Aysha Sweilem stopped at the gas station on her way home to Monterey, California, after taking a trip to the Pacific Northwest. She also stressed the importance of being patient when traveling.

“Be patient and be considerate on the road,” she said. “Because we all want to move from one point to another. And we will get there eventually.

Commercial truck driver Richard Crume logs more miles than most. He said drivers often don't understand the dangers of driving into a tractor-trailer's blind spot or not leaving enough space between a regular car and a giant vehicle.

“I’ve seen some really bad wrecks,” Crume said. “You don’t want to be – the truck is going to win.” There's not much we can do to protect everyone. Cutting us off or anything, it will never end well. We're trying to protect the public, everyone.

He said travelers need to watch out for trucks because truckers work during the holidays to transport goods to people across the country.

“Just be safe,” Crume said. “Don't be in such a hurry that you sacrifice the safety of yourself, your family, or other innocent people on the road. Just be a little more patient…No one has to get hurt. It's not worth the shot.”

AAA data shows that nearly a third of fatal crashes involving teen drivers in Oregon occur in the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the organization calling that period the “100 Days the deadliest” for adolescents.

Kelly LaBarre, owner and instructor at Be Safe Driving School in Eugene, said many factors play into summer being a dangerous time for new drivers.

“Teenagers, they’re novice drivers,” she said. “They’re not used to all the dangers when they drive.”

LeBarre said teen drivers are more susceptible to speeding, not using their seat belts and various other distractions.

“Many of the risks teens face are distractions,” she said. “They want to use their phone while they drive. Once they are allowed to have friends in the car with them, their friends can be a distraction. Distractions with the radio.

The courses taught by LeBarre focus not only on a driver's personal behaviors, but also those of the drivers around them.

“We talk about the risks of just driving with other people driving on the road,” she said. “They might be paying attention, but maybe the drivers they're following on the road aren't either. And how to manage their space while they drive.

Driver Manuel Burboa, 19, of Eugene, said it's everyone's responsibility, no matter how long their trip is, to take steps to keep everyone on the road safe.

“You have to be safe because you have to think about other people on the road,” he said. “They have families, they have people they want to return to.”

Burboa said that even though he has only been behind the wheel for a short time compared to more experienced drivers, the level of experience does not necessarily translate into safety because “they may be experienced drivers, but not safe drivers.”

Keeping his distance from other cars, obeying the speed limit and being aware of blind spots are some of the things Burboa said he does to stay safe – things all drivers should do.

“Don’t text and drive.” Always be aware of your surroundings,” he said. “For example, if you are walking you should always be aware of your surroundings no matter what, but when you are driving you should be very careful about what you are doing. Don't drink and drive, stay safe. away from that. For example, for my part, I try not to drive as much as necessary.”

LeBarre said it's crucial that parents and other experienced drivers set a good example for teens behind the wheel. Older adults may think it's okay to speed or text and drive because they've never had problems doing it before, but that's simply not the case.

“And so it becomes normal for them, it becomes acceptable,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean they don’t put others at risk.” Checking that text message could take five seconds while looking away from the road. I mean, no one would want to look away from the road – or close their eyes while driving for five seconds – so why would you look at your phone for five seconds.

Parents also play an important role in providing driving practice time for their children, LeBarre said. 15 to 20 minutes of driving a day can go a long way in making teens feel comfortable behind the wheel.