A smartphone app sponsored by the Iowa DOT and developed by the University of Iowa is being used to enhance communication between first responders and emergency room staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Use of the app by eastern Iowa law enforcement and first responders is part of a research study of emergency response times.
Once a year we give thanks for our family and friends. Do you know who to thank for your seat belt? Nils Bohlin, safety engineer with Volvo, invented the (modern) three-point seat belt 55 years ago. Below is a video clip from five years ago celebrating the 50th anniversary of the invention.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd1qw0J0X7M&feature=youtu.be
So in this week of Thanksgiving, make sure you take the extra two seconds to buckle up and then say a little thank you for this incredible safety innovation.
We had our first real dose of snow this weekend. We are thankful for the men and women who operate the snow plows and clear our roads. They do a great job - when we stay out of their way. We all need to do our part to make it easier on our snowfighters by giving them room to safety clear the roads.
Think about today’s message when you come upon a snow plow making the roadways safe for you and your family.
Our friends at the Michigan DOT put together this winter safety video that hits all same issues we have here in Iowa.
Some gave all. With the conflicts going on right now around the world, it is more important than ever to remember our veterans not just on Veterans Day, but every day. The Iowa DOT proudly supports our military service members.
Great news came out last week on Iowa’s seat belt usage - 92.8 percent of drivers now buckle up. This is the highest percentage of seat belt use recorded in Iowa since the start of these surveys.
To those who use seat belts, buckling up is such a ‘no-brainer’ that we cannot fathom how anyone would not just automatically take 2 seconds to be safer. Yet 7 percent of Iowa drivers remain unbuckled. To this end, the phrase “You’re killing me Smalls” seems appropriate when trying to explain to them why they should buckle up.
If you know what we're talking about, skip down to the movie clip.
For those who have not seen the movie the Sandlot (1993), the phrase “You’re killing me Smalls” means… ‘to show extreme frustration towards someone’s ineptitude or cluelessness, sometimes both’. Such as finding someone that has no clue what a S’more is, or someone that does not use their seat belt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlddDZkkxCc&feature=youtu.be
(FYI – you may have to sign in to a Google or YouTube account to switch YouTube out of safe mode and view the video)
Many of you may have already read the blog entry posted earlier today about transportation asset management (TAM) and how the DOT is exploring ways to utilize our resources in the most efficient and effective manner.
As a DOT employee, how does TAM impact you? We all have a role in managing and maintaining the transportation system in Iowa. As we develop the transportation asset management plan (TAMP), we will provide information on how it may impact the work we do at the DOT to manage the system. Ultimately, it will affect all 2,800 members of the DOT team - some more than others. We are committed to giving Iowa DOT employees regular updates to provide information about TAM initiatives and get feedback from you on how this effort will impact what you do.
The Iowa DOT manages more than 9,400 miles of state-owned highways and ramps and nearly 4,200 bridges. Maintaining Iowa’s transportation system requires constant analysis and review of our investments to make sure we are able to keep travelers and freight moving smoothly throughout our state. Effective management of our transportation assets is a key focus area for the Iowa DOT.
Information provided by the Office of Employee Services
Its the time of year when Iowa’s deer population are on the move. The whitetail deer mating season, combined with the fall harvest, disturb deer habitats and cause deer to travel farther and in larger numbers than at any other time of the year.
Last year there were 5,964 reported crashes with animals on Iowa roadways. Most of them were from deer. The good news is this is down from the five-year average of more than 7,000 crashes per year.
Be aware of deer, especially near dawn and dusk, over the next few weeks. And remember, if one jumps out in front of you….. Don’t Veer for Deer.
If this driver would have swerved, it would have been a tragic ending.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpf3Dgy9cKI&feature=youtu.be (By the scenery in this video, you know this is not in Iowa, but the issue is the same anywhere that deer are present.)
