Message Monday - Aug. 31, 2015 - Drive calm, School's back on

August 31, 2015

You see flashing lights on a school bus…. What do you do?  Keep it simple. When you come up on a school bus from the rear and the lights are on and the stop arm is out, ALWAYS STOP.

When you are approaching the bus, the requirement to stop depends on how many lanes are on the road.

If you see a stopped school bus with the lights on and the stop arm out on road with three or fewer lanes, you must always stop, no matter if you are approaching the bus or behind the bus. 

On a road with four or more lanes, if you come up from behind and see a stopped school bus with lights on and the stop arm out, you must stop. If you are coming toward the bus on a road with four or more lanes, you do not have to stop.

Opening the door to autonomous construction equipment

August 28, 2015

Photo cred: www.govtech.com

This post completes our three-part series on autonomous vehicles. Today we're taking a look at automation of larger equipment used in construction.

Volvo, Daimler Chrysler,  Google and other manufacturers are making headlines as their autonomous vehicles cruise cities around the county. Daimler Trucks North America projected a film of its autonomous semi on the Hoover Dam. Can the same sensors and radar used in other autonomous vehicles be applied to construction equipment?

Deer crashes, cameras and project delays - Thursday 3 with the Iowa DOT #Thurs3DOT

August 27, 2015

Deer crashes, cameras along the highways, and a slight delay on a much-anticipated construction project are the topics for today’s Thursday 3 with the Iowa DOT. Each week we take questions from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or the comment section of this blog. We choose three questions to answer the next Thursday on the blog. When you submit questions on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, use #Thurs3DOT so we make sure we get them. Our goal is to make the transportation system easier to understand, so if you have a question that pops into your head – we want to hear it!

Autonomous semis to help alleviate fatigue-related crashes

August 26, 2015

It comes as no surprise that driving a semi on a cross-country venture can lead to drowsy driving-related crashes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimated that 100,000 accidents annually are related to drowsy driving. In addition, federal data shows that 90 percent of truck crashes are due to human error, much of that due to fatigue. Drowsy drivers mirror the behavior of drunk driving with impaired judgment and slower reaction times. A solution to this problem may lie in self-driving semis; helping to decrease the chances of drowsy driving-related accidents and improve overall safety on roadways.

Are you ready to sit back and let your car do the driving?

August 24, 2015

Photo cred: www.gizmag.com

You may have been following the buzz in the past couple of years regarding the possibility of self-driving cars as the next wave of technology to hit the roads. With major corporations such as Delphi Automotive PLC and Google introducing this technology, these manufacturers are inching their way toward redefining the role of a driver. California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., have authorized putting these vehicles to the test on tracks, city streets, and congested highways. Iowa is also highly interested in being involved with the testing and development of autonomous vehicles. With this comes the opportunity to become a leader in technology, making roadways smarter, safer, and simplified for drivers.  

Message Monday- Aug. 24, 2015 - Drive Sober or get pulled over

August 24, 2015

Last Friday, Aug. 21 marked the first day of a "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Until Sept. 7, law enforcement will be cracking down on drunk driving. The crackdown involves more than 10,000 law enforcement agencies across the country that will be out in force through Labor Day zeroing in on drunk drivers, with zero tolerance for drivers caught with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher – the legal limit.