News Launch: Journey with warning as the tip of daylight financial savings time, and darker, rainier climate add security dangers to metropolis streets

(Nov. 3, 2025) With the tip of daylight financial savings time, darker circumstances enhance visitors security dangers on Portland streets. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) urges everybody to journey with care. This reminder follows three lethal crashes final week in East Portland’s Hazelwood and Gateway neighborhoods.

Pedestrian deaths enhance as days get darker

Pedestrian crashes enhance sharply from summer time to winter as sunlight hours shrink. For 10 years via 2023, Portland averaged 20 visitors crashes a month involving pedestrians. Those crashes weren’t unfold evenly all year long: a mean of 14 occurred in July, 19 in September, and 27 in December.

Last 12 months, 83% of visitors deaths final 12 months occurred in darker circumstances (which incorporates nightfall, nighttime, and daybreak). Of all pedestrian deaths final 12 months, 86% occurred in darker circumstances. These developments are in step with traffic safety research.

Nighttime journey is very harmful

Research exhibits that nighttime pedestrian deaths have been rising for years — particularly on vast, high-speed streets. Higher speeds, poor visibility, and distraction make nighttime journey particularly harmful.

More than half of lethal crashes this 12 months in District 2

This 12 months, visitors deaths are notably decrease throughout town.  The Vision Zero program has reported 31 lethal crashes that meet National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reporting standards. This is considerably lower than the 46 crashes presently in 2024. However, even one dying is unacceptable. More than half (52% or 16people) of this 12 months’s lethal crashes occurred in City Council District 2, adopted by District 1 (29% or 9 folks), District 3 (13% or 4 folks), and District 4 (6% or 2 folks).

From 12 months to 12 months, lethal crashes fluctuate geographically (District 1 had practically half in 2023), however the sample of visitors deaths on High Crash Network streets and intersections is constant.

Slower speeds decrease the chance of crashes

It’s necessary that folks driving autos decelerate and journey at or under the velocity restrict. When crashes happen, slower speeds make it much less doubtless that individuals are killed or significantly injured. A pedestrian struck by an individual driving 20 mph is 4 occasions extra prone to survive than a pedestrian struck at 40 mph. At slower speeds, an individual driving a car has larger capability to see the roadway and requires much less response and breaking distance to cease for an obstruction or street consumer. 

Motor car and roadway hazards for drivers

A wide range of hazards are constructed into motor autos and the roadway that make it tougher for drivers to see:

• The A-pillar posts that help the windshield in most automobiles, and separates it from facet home windows, creates a blind spot — blocking the view of pedestrians and different autos at intersections.
• A moist windshield, rain, and glare from different autos can obscure imaginative and prescient.
• Dark areas with little or no lighting make it more durable to see different street customers.

People driving must take further care at night time, because the impression of fast-moving, heavy autos can kill or significantly injure people who find themselves strolling, biking, or rolling.

One in 5 critical crashes entails left turns

About 20% of pedestrian crashes occur when folks driving motor autos flip left and fail to yield to folks within the crosswalk at signalized intersections.

Because left turns have a wider turning radius, drivers must take further care to decelerate and keep inside their lane. Look fastidiously for pedestrians who could also be hidden by the automotive’s body. 

PBOT is putting in security remedies alongside High Crash Network streets and intersections. Raised middle medians scale back the variety of left-turning conflicts alongside busy corridors. Intersection security measures like centerline hardening and pedestrian head begins make intersections safer for everybody by serving to to gradual autos’ turning speeds and enhance visibility within the crosswalk.

We all have a duty to assist make our streets protected

As we put together for darker, rainier climate, it will be significant that folks driving decelerate, keep alert, and look out for folks strolling, biking, and rolling on the road.

• Slow down and journey at or under the velocity restrict
• Take care when making turns and approaching crosswalks
• Always activate headlights
• Maintain a protected distance between autos
• Keep windshields clear
• Stay alert and keep away from distractions — it’s illegal to drive while holding and using a cell phone
• Dress as visibly as potential when touring exterior of a motorized vehicle

PBOT is addressing visibility on Portland’s highest-crash streets via streetlight, indicators, striping, and signal enhancements

Streetlighting

Streetlights make it simpler for folks to keep away from crashes and may scale back the incidence of crashes at particular places. Better road lighting is crucial for Portland to satisfy its Vision Zero aim to eradicate visitors deaths and critical accidents.

PBOT continues to put money into road lighting to enhance security in darkish circumstances. The Vision Zero Action Plan Update 2023-25 calls the bureau so as to add lighting on High Crash Network streets. PBOT’s lighting pointers name for constant illumination throughout and alongside main streets. Infill lighting mixed with tweaks to current lights help security whereas conserving vitality.

New road lighting is underway on 82nd Avenue, outer NE Halsey Street, outer NE Glisan Street, NE Killingsworth Street, and SW Capitol Highway. In 2026, lighting can be up to date on NE 102nd Avenue, 122nd Avenue, Columbia Boulevard, and inside E Burnside Street, with outer SE Division and Stark streets following shortly after.

Signals

PBOT’s Signals and Streetlighting workforce is bettering sign visibility throughout town. Crews are changing older 8-inch sign lenses with customary 12-inch ones and including retroreflective yellow borders to sign backboards to make them simpler to see.

Striping

Striping our streets makes journey lane boundaries extra seen. This 12 months, crews restriped the whole High Crash Network with extra reflective beads to make lane markings simpler to see at night time. As of final month, PBOT crews striped 2,800 miles.

Signs

As fall rains return, the Traffic Signs and Markings workforce turns to a continued challenge that they will work on in wetter circumstances: The epic job of putting in 32,000 new, excessive visibility road identify indicators throughout city. In earlier years, they changed road indicators in outer Southeast Portland. fall, the crew is constant their systematic signal substitute in Northeast Portland from N Williams to NE 82nd avenues.

This cautious work requires crews to examine each signal — road, visitors, and parking — together with their posts. Anything that is broken, light, lacking, or not enforceable is changed.

Learn extra about Vision Zero, the City of Portland’s aim to eradicate visitors deaths and critical accidents on our streets, at