Rules of the Road for Drivers

ORS 811.147
Failure to maintain safe distance from motor vehicle

  • penalty

(1)

A person operating a motor vehicle commits the offense of failure to maintain a safe distance from a motor vehicle if the person approaches a motor vehicle that is stopped and is displaying required warning lights or hazard lights, or a person is indicating distress by using emergency flares or posting emergency signs, and the person operating the motor vehicle:

(a)

On a highway having two or more lanes for traffic in a single direction, fails to:

(A)

Make a lane change to a lane not adjacent to that of the stopped motor vehicle; or

(B)

Reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a speed that is at least five miles per hour under the speed limit established in ORS 811.111 (Violating a speed limit) or a designated speed posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds).

(b)

On a two directional, two-lane highway, fails to reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a speed that is at least five miles per hour under the speed limit established in ORS 811.111 (Violating a speed limit) or a designated speed posted under ORS 810.180 (Designation of maximum speeds).

(2)

A person is not in violation of the offense described in this section if the stopped motor vehicle is in a designated parking area.

(3)

The offense described in this section, failure to maintain a safe distance from a motor vehicle, is a Class B traffic violation. [2003 c.42 §2; 2009 c.198 §1; 2010 c.30 §17; 2017 c.305 §1]
Note: 811.147 (Failure to maintain safe distance from motor vehicle) was added to and made a part of the Oregon Vehicle Code by legislative action but was not added to ORS chapter 811 or any series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.
Source

Last accessed
Mar. 11, 2023

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