Watch Out for Your Community After Dark

Stay Alert as Days Grow Shorter

Multnomah County wants to remind all drivers to stay alert as Daylight Saving Time ends and the days grow shorter. Drivers are encouraged to slow down, turn on their lights, and watch for neighbors walking, biking, and rolling on the streets to help keep the community safe.

Crash-related injuries and deaths spike in November, according to data from Multnomah County’s Draft East Multnomah County Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP). 

The TSAP identifies safety improvements, programs and actions that agencies and partners can take to improve transportation safety for everyone.

The project team reviewed more than 9,000 crash records between 2013 and 2022 in east Multnomah County to better understand where and how transportation safety can be improved. The crash data included roads in Gresham, Wood Village, Troutdale and Fairview.   

During that time period, nearly 500 people were seriously injured and more than 100 people died in crashes in the study area. The number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes was nearly three times higher in 2022 than 2013. 

Crash-related serious injuries and deaths tend to increase during the winter months across all modes of travel, including cars, trucks, cyclists, pedestrians, and those using mobility devices, with a particularly sharp spike in November. Vulnerable road users—people walking, rolling, and biking—are more likely to be involved in serious or fatal crashes in the study area. Additionally, crashes involving cars striking cyclists or pedestrians are more likely to occur during dusk and dawn, when visibility is lower.

“The November uptick in crash-related serious injuries and deaths could be potentially linked to Daylight Saving Time ending and the days getting shorter,” TSAP Project Manager MaryJo Andersen said. “This can be an adjustment for drivers. We ask that you slow down and be on the lookout for all road users – it could save a life.”