Did you pass right by National Move Over Day? Last Friday some Americans paused to recognize the danger faced by our first responders and others who work alongside the road. But keeping our Iowa DOT road warriors safe takes more than just a day to remember to move over or slow down, so we’re keeping the “move over” momentum going all year long because these brave men and women need your assistance every day.
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
Having an accurate weather forecast is critical to helping us keep Iowa roads in great shape, no matter what the season. Working with our weather vendor, DTN, we rolled out a new weather product on Oct. 1, just in time for winter preparations. The new website, ClearPath, (https://iowadot.clearpathweather.com) replaces the previous WeatherSentry site.
Craig Bargfrede of the Maintenance Bureau said, “The new weather package has all the elements we depend on plus the benefit of a road condition forecast that we’ll be testing over this winter season. It will also include enhanced year-round information, including daily video forecasts 365 days a year.”
The first day on a job can be exciting and a bit intimidating, especially if that job includes working on a highway with traffic whizzing by you at 60 mph or greater. To make sure we are living our core value of “safety first” and preparing our new field staff to be as safe and successful as possible on the road, we’ve recently implemented a more formalized training system to assure new team members have the skills they need to safely come back home to their loved ones after every shift.
What takes your attention away from the road when you’re driving? As we head into Teen Driver Safety Week, let’s take a look at common distractions that affect everyone, not just teens, that you might not realize pose a risk behind the wheel.
A recent study showed the danger of the following behaviors.
The pandemic has impacted our lives in many different ways. One unexpected way law enforcement officials are seeing is a significant increase in speeding, especially excessive speed of more than 100 mph. While Iowa law enforcement has seen a large uptick in speeding across all roadways, it’s not just us. The issue is being seen in many states around the country.
But are you really saving that much time by speeding? Here’s the math done by one researcher:
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
Information provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau
Predictability, it’s one of the things that contributes most to safe driving. Understanding what to expect from other drivers and alerting other drivers to your intentions - these two actions prevent unexpected movements that can cause crashes.
When a driver clicks on the turn signal, you can be pretty sure that the vehicle is going to turn a corner or switch lanes on a highway. That predictability is also the reason stop signs and other roadway signs are effective. For the most part, you can count on other drivers to do the predictable thing when there is a sign to guide them.
You’re on the interstate, just enjoying the Iowa scenery when - all of a sudden - someone quickly merges from a ramp and clips the back of your vehicle. Your car spins and hits the cable barrier. Luckily you didn’t hit anyone else and you’re OK but pretty shaken. You grab your cell phone and call 911. What happens next?
“Every 911 call comes into one of Iowa’s 113 ‘public safety answering points,” said Ted Shipley of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Operations Division. “Typically, that would be a communication center for the Iowa State Patrol, county sheriff’s office, or other law enforcement. The answering point dispatches resources within their area of responsibility such as emergency medical services, fire, police, or the traffic management center.”
