PORTLAND, Ore. — Less than two months into 2024, 12 people have died in traffic crashes in Portland. In 2023, six people died during the same timeframe. Last year was the deadliest year for traffic fatalities in Portland since 1986.
"We have a real epidemic," said Sarah Risser, a road safety advocate.
In the past 11 days, four people died in crashes in the St. Johns neighborhood, Parkrose Heights and on Southwest Naito Parkway.
"They're all preventable,” Risser said. “Not a single one of them needs to happen."
Risser lost her son in a traffic crash in 2019. On Wednesday, she marked street posts where people have died in 2024. One location was on Northeast 111th Avenue where 38-year-old Jeremy Bankston died.
On Feb. 14, Portland police said Bankston lost control of his motorcycle after trying to apply the brakes when a Dodge Caravan turned into the northbound lane on Northeast 111th Avenue.
"It's an unimaginable loss to lose a child, to lose anyone to road traffic violence," Risser said.
Since the pandemic, traffic deaths have become more common in Portland, according to Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) spokesperson Don Hamilton.
"We've seen a lot of really careless behavior this year," Hamilton said.
So far this year, ODOT crews have seen drivers ignore stop signs or stop lights, he said. Distracted drivers or people driving under the influence is also a persistent problem.
In a statement, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) said they have ongoing efforts to make streets safer through its Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities.
Recently, PBOT has added speed cameras citywide, with plans to double the amount of speed cameras to 40 this year. They have also added school zone signs to slow traffic on busy roads like Powell Boulevard.
Still, Risser believes more can be done, like enforcing city code that does not allow parking within 50 feet of an intersection if the vehicle obscures traffic. She also said Portland could eliminate right turns at red lights, which can lead to pedestrians or cyclists getting hit. Other solutions include adding more lights, incorporating slower speed limits and more speed cameras, Risser said.