No Fourth of July traffic fatalities in Oregon for first time since 1979

By KVAL News Published: Jul 5, 2012 at 12:01 PM PDT

EUGENE, Ore. - For the first time since 1979, no Oregonians died in car crashes over the Fourth of July.

The Fourth of July holiday is the deadliest holiday period of the year on Oregon roads, according to state transportation department statistics.

Nearly 300 people have died on Oregon roads during the Fourth of July holiday period since 1970.

Last year, three people died in two separate crashes.

Police said the last time no one died was another shorter mid-week holiday period in 1979. State police tracked 30 hours of holiday accidents and arrestes compared to the 78-hour period measured last year.

But most - 90 percent - of the 110 DUII arrests last year happened on the Fourth of July, police said.

This year, state troopers made 21 DUII arrests between 6 p.m. on July 3 and midnight on July 4.

However, stepped-up enforcement will continue through Sunday, July 8, police said.