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June 28, 2022

Note: This is the third post in a series on Iowa DOT training of field employees.

The safety of our Iowa Department of Transportation employees and everyone who drives in Iowa relies on the consistent and thorough training of our team. In an Iowa DOT garage, the team members are called on to do a wide variety of tasks. They plow snow, repair shoulders, remove brush to improve sightlines, and repair signs and guard rail, which are a few of the many safety assignments they accomplish every day. One thing most of these tasks have in common is the need for our team members to drive very large equipment.

Roadside Chat - Crashes are rare when you dare to care

June 24, 2022

What’s your main focus when you’re behind the wheel? When asked that question, your answer should be “driving.” But if you’re honest with yourself, do you really focus solely on driving?

While it is difficult for law enforcement to record just how many crashes are caused by distracted drivers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that 3,142 people in the United States were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2020.

Work zone training for maintenance teams to improve safety for our crews

June 21, 2022

(Note: This is the second in a series of posts related to field employee safety training.)

Even someone with nerves of steel can get a little rattled working on the road just feet from speeding traffic. Our Iowa DOTers work in many different types of work zones with both construction and maintenance projects. Depending on the work to be done, the work zone setups can differ, but many of the same safety measures can be implemented to help both our workers and the drivers on the road get home safely at the end of the day.

Roadside Chat - Drunk driving is no joke - Dad

June 17, 2022

Summer is a great time to get together with friends and family. With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, many families may hear some groan-worthy “bad dad” jokes as you hang out around the backyard barbeque. How about this one?

“What kind of drink can be bitter and sweet? Reali-tea.”

Personnel updates for May 27, 2022 to June 9, 2022

June 16, 2022

Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

Safety training starts on Day 1 at the Iowa DOT

June 14, 2022

Note: This post is the first in a series related to Iowa DOT training efforts to improve the safety of our field staff.

Safeguarding our Iowa DOTers who spend their days working on the road starts the first day they enter a garage. New standardized training tools are being used to ensure our team members have the best possible training to safely get the job done and return home to their loved ones after each shift. Continually updating our field training system strengthens the well-being of our entire Iowa DOT team.

Roadside Chat - Be a leader, not a speeder

June 10, 2022

When you’re traveling from point A to point B, the goal should not be to get there first; but to get there safely. When you’re behind the wheel, what traits do your passengers see in you?

Oversized loads pose special challenges for work zones on Iowa highways

June 6, 2022

In Iowa, big things are moving on our highways. Whether you see a flatbed loaded with a massive piece of farm equipment or a specially designed truck hauling a huge wind blade, oversize and/or overweight loads are a common sight on Iowa roads. Sometimes traveling around these types of loads can cause frustration or pose challenges but a lot of planning goes into making sure those loads are traveling safely down our roadways and around other traffic.

Roadside Chat - I feel the need... the need to buckle up

June 3, 2022

Adrenaline…it’s the hormone that your body releases in response to stress. The major emotion studied in relation to adrenaline is fear. From endocrineweb.com/adrenaline, “Adrenaline is a hormone that prepares your sympathetic nervous system to fight or flee, and your body makes it in response to a stressor or threat. It’s an amazing thing to have coursing through your system when facing danger—people have been known to lift cars off children and run faster than they ever had due to adrenaline. It increases the flow of blood to muscles, releasing sugar into your bloodstream, along with a cascade of other effects that make your body alert and more able to fight off an attacker or outrun a flood.”