Oregon State Police launch statewide holiday traffic safety operation on Highway 97, surrounding highways
Campbell Porter
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon State Police (OSP) launched a large-scale traffic safety initiative Friday, ramping up patrols across Highway 97 and several adjoining routes as the holiday travel season gets underway. The operation, stretching from border to border along Highway 97, includes enforcement along Highways 20, 26, 58, and 126.
Captain Kyle Kennedy, OSP’s public information officer, said the operation’s purpose is to prevent serious and fatal crashes, especially at a time of year when traffic typically increases statewide.
“We recently had a fatal crash in the area,” Kennedy said. “Last year, we had a number of crashes in and around the holidays. We really just want to set a tone that we want people to drive safely and to make sure they get to the destination they intend to get to — and that’s not a hospital, and it’s certainly not a morgue.”
Kennedy said troopers will be paying close attention to what OSP calls the “fatal five” traffic behaviors: excessive speed, occupant safety violations, lane safety issues, impaired driving, and distracted driving.
Focus on commercial motor vehicles
A major part of the operation targets commercial drivers traveling through Central Oregon. Kennedy emphasized the unique risks involved when large trucks are in collisions.
“Those vehicles are large, and when they’re involved in crashes, they lead to serious and fatal injuries due to their size,” he said. “It takes a lot to stop one of those. We know that most commercial drivers operate responsibly, but there are still some who drive distracted, impaired, or with unsecured loads — and that’s what we’re addressing.”
Recent crashes have underscored that urgency. Just weeks ago, a newlywed couple was killed east of Bend on Highway 20 after a truck jackknifed into their SUV. A week later, a four-vehicle crash in La Pine along Highway 97 left a pickup truck engulfed in flames after a semi-truck collided with it. No one died in that incident, but it served as another warning of the dangers heavy vehicles can pose.
Shared responsibility and seasonal safety
Kennedy stressed that this initiative is not meant to single out trucking companies, but to promote safety for everyone on the road.
“The heart of the operation is, we want people to be safe and get to visit their families,” he said. “We just want people to know there’s going to be a consequence if you’re not operating safely.”
The patrol effort is a cooperative, multi-agency operation involving OSP area commands and local partners, including Bend Police, the Deschutes and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices, Redmond Police, ODOT, and the Washington State Patrol.
“I do want to highlight that this is a multi-agency operation,” Kennedy said. “We hope it’s a slow day, and we hope that what we see is a lot of compliance with traffic laws. But in the event that we come across poor driving behavior, we’re going to be there to interact with that.”
Kennedy said the visible law enforcement presence acts as both a deterrent and a reminder for motorists to slow down, pay attention, and plan ahead — especially as winter conditions approach.
Patrols will remain in effect through the holiday season to encourage safe driving and reduce crashes across Central Oregon highways.