HOOD RIVER, Ore. — Thousands of drivers were stranded for upwards of 12 hours inside their cars earlier this week over extremely slick conditions that led to a handful of crashes Tuesday night into Wednesday morning along I-84 near Hood River.
We wanted to Verify: Are chain requirements enforced in Oregon?
Our sources for this story are Sgt. Brandon White with Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Pete Hughes with Hood River County Sheriff's Office and Lt. Cari Boyd with Oregon State Police.
Chain requirement signs are often activated along Oregon highways during hazardous weather - which happens along I-84 quite frequently.
In fact, Lt. Boyd said signs were posted on Tuesday night requiring use of chains as road conditions deteriorated. She says at least 5 drivers were cited for not putting chains on their cars or trucks during this time.
But why don't troopers check each and every vehicle through a checkpoint system during a chains required period?
Much like DUII checkpoints, the forced stopping of a mass of drivers would violate a search and seizure clause of the Oregon constitution.
Both Oregon State Police and Multnomah Co. Sheriff's deputies enforce chain requirements once an incident has already occurred on the road -- we'll call it "reactive enforcement."
If the Oregon Department of Transportation closes a road and they ask for assistance, Lt. Boyd said troopers may go out on chain requirement checks, but they would most likely be needed for first responder duties instead.
OSP, along with Hood River and Multnomah county sheriff's offices, admit they don't have the personnel - or the money - for active enforcement of chain requirements at all times.
We can Verify: Yes, Oregon law enforcement agencies do enforce chain requirements, but they're often reactive instead of proactive.
Lt. Boyd said OSP is hoping to nearly double their troop staffing size by the year 2030 through House Bill 2046. She said a larger force of troopers would be able to be more proactive in cases like this.
And circling back to this week's mess on I-84, Lt. Boyd said troopers didn't give out any tickets to drivers on Wednesday; they simply concentrated on getting the drivers much-needed supplies and clearing the highway.
Your best bet is to always have chains in your car if you plan on traveling around a potentially hazardous stretch of road during the winter. You should also keep an extra blanket, water, a flash light and some snacks in your car just in case.
And double check TripCheck.com before you head out for the latest road closures or chain requirements.