Oregon Department of Transportation partners with Grand Prix of Portland

Drive safe, park your phone

The Transportation Safety Division (TSD) of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has partnered, for the first time ever, with the Grand Prix of Portland, kicking off the Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1, at Portland International Raceway (PIR).

Marking the second year of the annual motorsports event, TSD’s Distracted Driving Program will be highlighted for all three days of the Grand Prix. The program’s messaging will be featured prominently across the PIR venue, including on-site branding, an exciting opportunity to experience the state’s Distracted Driving crash vehicle, as well as digital reminders to help everyone get home safely.

“ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division has an important message for all drivers to ‘Park Your Phone’ while driving," said Jerry Jensen, general manager of the Grand Prix of Portland. “It takes the race car drivers’ full attention on the task at hand to go fast and win at the Grand Prix of Portland. We ask that our race fans do the same when commuting to and from this great event in a couple of weeks."

From running local PSAs, to billboards and geofencing, ODOT’s Transportation Safety Division touches the lives of Oregonians on the go. One of the most important safety measures for the 2019 program is bringing more awareness and education to the issues of distracted driving (i.e., using your phone or other electronic devices while driving). Distracted driving is a dangerous behavior for drivers, passengers, and non-occupants alike. Distraction is a specific type of inattention that occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity instead (per NHTSA).

“The Transportation Safety Division is so happy to be able to have this incredible partnership opportunity with the Grand Prix of Portland," states Kelly Kapri, Program Manager for ODOT’s Distracted Driving Program. “We’re able to have such a unique reach across the event, reminding people that distracted driving is not only dangerous, but also against the law. We’re grateful to the organizers for helping TSD in our efforts to change cultural norms around distracted driving as part of our overall plan to reach all Oregonians."

As an official event partner, TSD will provide on-site fan engagement opportunities including the Distracted Driving Awareness Mobile Trailer, an educational and conversation-starting display about the very real consequences of distracted driving. The program is supported by the digital and social media messages, video signage on the racetrack, ticketing logos, event map branding and more throughout the venue.