Alcohol and Reckless Driving Still a Problem at the Oregon Dunes

Although the use of alcohol at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area was banned several years ago, as highlighted in our report "Six Strategies for Effective Enforcement," it is still apparently a problem.  An article from yesterday's Umpqua Post highlights the issue. 

The article is a follow-up report to the tragic death of a 19 year old woman that occurred at a popular vehicle jumping area near Winchester Bay.  A woman, a bystander, who apparently was intoxicated above the legal limit, ran out in front of an ORV that was making a jump.  The driver of the ATV had also apparently been drinking, though testing revealed the alcohol in his blood was below the legal limit.  The police decided to not press charges against the driver because the bystander was intoxicated.  Since alcohol has been banned at the Oregon Dunes for years, why was there any alcohol in the driver's blood?

A second article in yesterday's Umpqua Post was a brief re-cap of two serious accidents that occurred over the weekend, one on the same hill near Winchester Bay and a second in the general area.  While these do not mention alcohol, it does highlight the dangers of riding ORVs in this environment, even when completely unimpaired.

Any type of motor vehicle use and alcohol don't mix, but particularly not when combined with high speed, uneven surface, and constantly changing conditions like those on the open riding areas of the Oregon Dunes.

The near impossibility of enforcement of the specific restrictions the Forest Service is attempting to put in place on the Oregon Dunes calls into question their entire approach.  Restrictions on the Dunes apper to be mostly a paper exercise, and fail to address the dangers of off road vehicle use at the Oregon Dunes.  Perhaps more importantly, they do not address the fact that motorized use continues to cause damage to sensitive adn unique resources of the area and decrease the enjoyment of visitors seeking a quiet, peaceful, non-motorized experience.

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