Distracted Driving Laws in Oregon: Fines, Penalties, and Defenses

Distracted driving in Oregon is rising problem very similar to DUI.

What is distracted driving?

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) suggests that, “distraction occurs when a driver voluntarily diverts attention to something not related to driving that uses the driver’s eyes, ears, or hands.”

There are four types of driver distraction:

1. Visual — looking at something other than the road. Examples could include: looking at a phone, tablet, navigation system, map, or in-car video display.
2. Auditory — hearing something not related to driving. Examples could include: listening to a call on a phone or Bluetooth, listening to a car stereo, or engaging in conversation with a passenger.
3. Manual — manipulating something other than the wheel. Examples could include: playing with the car stereo or controls, typing a phone number into a phone, sending text messages, or interacting with a navigation system.
4. Cognitive — thinking about something other than driving. Examples could include: thinking about work or personal matters.

According to ODOT, most distractions involve more than one of these types, with both a sensory — eyes, ears, or touch — and a mental component. Most distracted driving in Oregon consists of cell phone use and texting while driving.

Distracted Driving Statistics for Oregon

From the years 2010-2014, vehicle crashes involving drivers of all ages who were distracted or inattentive caused a total of 16,987 crashes. Of those, 58 were fatal crashes and 14,186 people were injured.

1,419 crashes involved used of a cell phone, 15 crashes resulted in fatalities, and 1,175 people were injured. Of the crashes that involved a driver age 16-18 years of age using a cell phone, out of 131 crashes, there were 120 people injured.

There were 88,626 convictions for the offense of distracted driving.

Distracted Driving Laws in Oregon

Distracted driving is currently only a Class C violation in Oregon with a $160 fine ($500 maximum), but there are proposals to make distracted driving a crime. Both OPB and the Statesman Journal report that there are discussions in the legislature to criminalize distracted driving in Oregon and make it more similar to a DUI. This would potentially subject drivers who operate a motor vehicle while distracted to a criminal conviction, jail time, supervised probation, and thousands of dollars in fines.