Fewer drivers on the roads, but Oregon law enforcement agencies see more people speeding

SALEM, Ore. — While there are fewer drivers on the road during the stay-at-home order in Oregon, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said they have more patrols.

The sheriff's office said they've seen more speeders in recent weeks. During several traffic stops, the drivers were going more than 100 miles per hour and a few more were caught speeding at more than 90 miles per hour.

On Wednesday, there was a speed-related crash in Salem that required Life Flight to transport a patient to the hospital.

The sheriff's office said the average speed of cars on the road is increasing because there's less congestion.

"Naturally, congestion tends to actually slow traffic down for us. And with the roads being so open I think it's easy for people to lose the focus they have on the road and move a little bit quicker," said Sgt. Jeremy Landers from the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Portland Police said overall they are issuing fewer citations, but the proportion of citations related to speeding is increasing.

They said dangerous driving can have a huge impact on health care workers who are already swamped right now.

"With increased speed comes the increased risk of injury and that can result in putting more burden on our strained hospitals systems, and divert attention that our medical workers have on other issues right now," said Sgt. Landers.

Portland Police said overall they are issuing fewer citations, but the proportion of citations related to speeding is increasing.

The Bureau also said that it saw an increase in citations for driving more than 31 miles an hour above the listed speed limit.

The sheriff's office said they have more patrols on the roads right now than in the past and will absolutely pull drivers over if they catch them speeding.