Noa Schwartz

Receiving a Snapchat from my roommate with a selfie of her in the hospital, covered in blood, certainly wasn’t on my college bucket list. “I just got in a car crash, but don’t worry, guys, I’m fine,” she texted.  

Luckily, my roommate wasn’t injured too badly, but her totaled car faced the brunt of the damage. It seems that this isn’t an isolated incident within the city, with similar crashes occurring regularly. 

The need for defensive driving feels like an understatement on the roads of Eugene. I’ve almost been hit countless times as a pedestrian on crosswalks, have witnessed numerous crashes and see multiple traffic violations each time I get behind the wheel. 

I grew up in a smaller city and always felt relatively safe on the road, so coming to Eugene was a full 180. Certain areas and roads in the city seem worse than others, and UO students I talked to agreed with me. 

Alexia Crawford, a UO senior and computer science major, said, “I think as a pedestrian, downtown Eugene is less safe because no one pays attention to the lights down there.”

Crawford is originally from San Francisco, and said that driving in Eugene is better than in her hometown because the drivers feel less “aggressive.” 

“Sometimes I’ll be like, wow, there are so many bad drivers out today, and then other days it’s like no big deal. It just depends on the day,” Crawford said. 

This kind of unpredictability is what makes driving here feel so dangerous to me. While some days it’s not so bad, other days it feels like you’re avoiding disaster at every turn.

UO senior Hannah Oldham said, “I think everybody’s maybe perpetually high so they drive slower, but not necessarily worse.”

These drivers are further enabled by Eugene’s hectic roadway design. With highway lanes that abruptly merge and downtown roads that suddenly end and become one-way streets, Eugene seems to be built on chaos. 

The chaotic roadways seemingly attract chaotic drivers as well. According to the Eugene Fatal Crash Report,” 2024 included a total of 22 fatal traffic crashes within the Eugene UGB (Urban Growth Boundary). This is the highest total on record.” 

 The City of Eugene stated that in 2024, traffic deaths had increased by 132% from the previous three years. This reveals a larger crisis happening within Eugene, rather than just a few individuals with bad driving habits. 

With what seems to be a mix of factors like distracted driving, driving under the influence and poor street design, it’s likely hard to pinpoint one clear solution to this problem.

A student government club called LiveMove has worked to promote quality and sustainable transportation systems in the local area. Their past projects have worked to actively make Eugene’s streets safer and raise awareness on these issues.

Their Safe Streets Fest last June showcased poster proposals for increasing street safety at South Eugene High School. Another project called Tactical Urbanism in Eugene ended with the club creating and handing out DIY kits that allowed community members to increase visibility in Eugene intersections that needed improvement. 

Hopefully, by increasing awareness, advocating for improvements in the city’s infrastructure and encouraging safer driving practices, Eugene residents can help turn its chaotic streets into a safer place for all.