It’s been 28 years since “Friends” first episode, “The one where Monica gets a roommate,” debuted on television. For the next 10 seasons, viewers of “Friends” were regularly greeted with episodes with titles that started with “The one where…”
What’s the storyline with your friends? Is there an episode that should be called “The one where everyone buckled up, even in the back seat?”
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
If you’re a parent of more than one child, you know a thing or two about how to reduce conflict. Some sage advice includes separating the conflicting items (in this instance, children) to give them time to think about what to do next, potentially reducing the risk of injury.
It’s really not so different with drivers approaching an at-grade intersection on a four-lane highway. The more you can separate the drivers and give them time to think about what’s next, the fewer conflicts or crashes will happen and the severity of the conflicts that do happen is reduced.
That’s exactly what is going on right now on U.S. 20 at Poplar Avenue near Fort Dodge. A new “reduced-conflict” intersection was opened recently with the goal of seeing fewer crashes and injuries at an intersection that may be getting much busier soon with the opening of a travel plaza.
Most of us would do everything in our power to protect our children. From the first time you install an infant car seat, one of the keys to child passenger safety is having your kid in the correct seat and having that seat installed properly.
How do you know which car seat is the right one for your child? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat) to help you determine which seat is best for your child. Routinely check the website to see when it is safe to “graduate” your child to the next type/style of car seat. This determination takes into account your child’s age, height, and weight.
Great coaches are those who approach every game with a solid plan to succeed. With big games like Iowa State versus Iowa; the University of Northern Iowa versus North Dakota; and the start of the National Football League all happening this weekend, the coaches have their plans, but how about you? If you’re going to be drinking or doing something else that might impair your judgment, how are you going to get home safely?
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
You’ve likely heard the adage that Iowa has two seasons, winter and construction. Iowa has nearly 115,000 miles of roads and 24,325 bridges across the state that need maintenance and care to get you where you need to go safely and efficiently.
Each day there are hundreds of active work zones, where our family members, friends, and neighbors are hard at work to improve these roads and bridges. They are trained to work in the safest way possible, but are still vulnerable to the dangers of working next to moving traffic. There are a few things you can do to make sure every one of these dedicated workers makes it home at the end of each shift.
Information provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau
It’s a busy time of year. School is starting, harvest is just around the corner and there seem to be more priorities than time for many of us.
If you find yourself rushing to get from here to there, remember that cutting a few minutes from your drive by speeding or driving aggressively is not worth the risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2020, speeding killed 11,258 people in the United States. In Iowa in 2021, law enforcement officers determined speed and aggressive driving played a part in the deaths of 176 people.
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
