100 m.p.h. speeder stopped at Beltline/Barger

Yesterday afternoon, Eugene Police Traffic Safety Unit continued their work to address super speeders. A vehicle driven by a man with an outstanding felony Parole Violation warrant was clocked at 100 m.p.h. and stopped. Roger Dale Woofter II, age 29, is being charged with Driving While Suspended, Driving Uninsured, Speeding at 100 m.p.h. (mandatory suspension). He was lodged at Lane County Jail on the parole violation warrant. The TSU is reminding the public that speed kills and to please slow down.

High speeds on our local roads are dangerous. This type of speeding is ridiculously unsafe, especially in an urban area with limited sight line due to roadway elevation and curves. To put this hazard in context, a vehicle traveling 100 m.p.h. will cover about half the length of a football field in the same amount of time it takes most people to take one step. In the time it takes the average person to perceive and react to a hazard, a 100 m.p.h. vehicle will have covered almost 240 feet -- that doesn't include additional distance to brake or safely steer around another occupied vehicle.

In Eugene, super speeders will earn expensive tickets. Eugene's TSU will be out patrolling and looking for violators. Speeding citations are an unnecessary expense to those who receive them and can be completely avoided by simply following the posted speed limits. Depending on speed, fines can be in excess of $1,000 and may be enhanced with suspended driving privileges. If you injure or kill someone with your speeding, you may end up in prison. However, a collision will cost you and those around you significantly more - more than 300 Oregonians lose their lives each year in avoidable traffic collisions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost a third of traffic fatalities are speed related. Even with advancements in vehicle safety and passenger protect, people are not safe from the dangers of speeding.

Please... slow down, buckle up, avoid driving distractions, and leave the driving to someone else if you've been drinking!