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Offenses under the state’s distracted driving law will begin counting toward elevated sanctions July 1. Here’s how penalties can add up:
•First offense, not contributing to a crash: Class B violation, with a fine up to $1,000.
•Second offense, or first offense, if it contributed to a crash: Class A violation, with a fine up to $2,500.
•Third offense in ten years: Class B misdemeanor, with a fine up to $2,500 and potential for six months in jail.
Not being fully focused on the complex task of driving can have disastrous results. From 2012-16 in Oregon, there were 10,814 crashes involving a distracted driver, resulting in 70 fatalities and 16,503 injuries.
Distractions occur in many ways and Oregon’s law stresses the need to put your electronic devices aside. As a driver commit to keeping your ‘hands on the wheel, mind on the road.’