The City of Portland is holding a media event today (right now actually) for their “innovative” Share the Road Safety Class, the new diversion program you have already heard of.
Today’s event marks the inaugural class session which happens tonight from 7-9 pm at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in north Portland.
According to PDOT’s press release, the goal of this class is
“to increase public awareness of traffic laws and safety issues through education and to decrease the number of traffic violations and crashes involving bicyclists, pedestrians, and motor vehicles.”
Commissioner Adams is also keen on the effort,
“This class offers people the chance to learn how to be safe and what their legal responsibilities are in a much more comprehensive way than just giving them a ticket.”
Multnomah County Judge Christopher Larsen spearheaded the effort because he was tired of hearing “hundreds of trials where many people didn’t understand what the law requires.”
The class was created through a broad coalition of partners. It is offered once a month at a cost of $30 per person.
A BikePortland reader is attending the first class and I’ll publish his experiences soon.
More information:
- Download the official class flyer (1.4mb PDF)
Contacts:
- Mike Morrison RN, Emanuel Hospital, 503-413-2672
- Christopher Larsen, Judge Pro Tem Multnomah County Court, 503-988-5474 x.28851
- Greg Raisman, Portland Office of Transportation, 503-823-1052
- Lieutenant Mark Kruger, Portland Police Traffic Division, 503-823-0809
Calling this a ‘Share the Road’ safety class and putting pro-helmet advocates Trauma Nurses Talk Tough in charge both seem like mistakes to me.
Nationally: Between 1996 and 2005, there were 7,085 bicycle fatalities. Of these, 6,592 bicycle fatalities without helmets compared to 493 helmeted fatalities.
(source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Bicycle Fatality Facts 2005.)
Gee — I wonder why Trauma Nurses who have to provide medical care to those of us unfortunate enough to have a catastrohic head injury would be pro-helmet?
Thanks.
Greg Raisman
Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership
Portland Office of Transportation
(503) 823-1052