Archives: May 2016
Message Monday - May 30, 2016 - 100 deadliest days begin today for teen drivers
May 30, 2016
Did you know nearly two-thirds of people injured or killed in a crash involving a teen driver are people other than the teen behind the wheel? This startling fact comes from a report released last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Noted in the report, in 2013 alone, 371,645 people were injured and 2,927 were killed in crashes that involved a teen driver. The majority of those killed or injured were people other than the teen driver who caused the crash.
A different AAA study found that when teen drivers have teen passengers in the vehicle, crash rates go up significantly. The study found that the risk increased by an estimated 44 percent when one passenger under age 21 (and no older passengers) was present in the teen driver’s vehicle, approximately double when two passengers under age 21 were present, and more than quadruple when three or more passengers under age 21 were present.
Precast barrier rails may shorten the duration of Iowa road projects in the future
May 26, 2016
This time of year it’s easy to get a little frustrated by road construction, even if it means the road will be improved once the crews are done. The Iowa Department of Transportation is working on several ways to shorten the time work crews are on a job site to decrease motorists’ frustrations and increase the safety for both motorists and workers alike.
One work zone time-saver under development is precast barrier rails, an element of accelerated bridge construction. In traditional construction, the concrete barriers on a highway are formed and poured onsite, usually closing lanes of traffic for days at a time. Under the leadership of Sri Sritharan, researchers at Iowa State University are developing the precast version. This effort is funded by the Florida International University’s University Transportation Center for Accelerated Bridge Construction. Member partners for UTC-ABC include ISU, Florida International University, and the University of Nevada at Reno.
Personnel updates for May 6 - 19, 2016
May 26, 2016
Information provided by the Office of Employee Services
Message Monday - May 23, 2016 - Got cut off? shake it off, shake it off
May 23, 2016
So what if some bozo zips right in front of you in the line of traffic? Is that minute or two lost really worth getting all worked up about?
Driving aggressively puts everyone around you in danger. Whether you’re speeding, running a red light, cutting someone off, or tailgating another driver who has behaved badly, a few minutes isn’t worth your life.
Two-thirds of all traffic fatalities involve behaviors associated with aggressive driving. If you see someone driving aggressively, don’t retaliate. Ignore the behavior or pull off to a safe location and report the dangerous driver to 911.
Cops deal with aggressive drivers every day. This Dover Delaware police officer has some good advice for dealing with the bozos out there. https://youtu.be/lYMxPst2GXQ
The fatality count of 125 is an increase of five from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://bit.ly/1QFbcyj.
What is that thing?
May 16, 2016
Painful … that’s how some employees used to describe watching the Iowa Department of Transportation’s outdated safety videos. But we all need to know this stuff, right?
Amy Knight from the Office of Employee Services, said, “The old videos have served their purpose. Many were very long and started with the most basic information. Besides the fact that the videos were long and outdated, they were VIDEOS… on VHS tapes. One employee emailed me to say ‘The '70s called and they want their videos back.’ That’s how outdated they were.”
Another issue is that the department had no real tracking system. Over the years many videos had been misplaced, damaged, or simply were not being used. Knight said, “Safety is our main focus. Getting relevant and interesting information to our employees is very important. As it stood, we didn’t have a good handle on what videos were where. Every office or area seemed to have a different set of five to seven videos, so the information wasn’t consistent across the agency. We really needed to fix this.”
Message Monday - May 16, 2016 - Drive safely, think of the impact you could make
May 16, 2016
Have you ever been to a junkyard? When you see so many vehicles lying in heaps everywhere, do you wonder about the story behind each chunk of twisted, rusted metal and shattered windshield?
For a variety of reasons, Iowa’s fatality count is already very high this year, nearly 25 percent more than this same time last year.
We know that fatalities involving impaired drivers are up, but what other behaviors are causing our family and friends to die behind the wheel? Are more people driving distracted or drowsy? Are they going too fast or not buckling up?
What are you doing to make sure everyone in your vehicle arrives home safely tonight? See more statistics and ideas on how you can be a safer driver at http://ia.zerofatalities.com/
Personnel Updates for April 22-May 5, 2016
May 13, 2016
Information provided by the Office of Employee Services
Message Monday - May 9, 2016 - Drive like your momma's watching
May 9, 2016
Most of us want to make Mom proud. Think about how you drive. Would you behave the way you do behind the wheel, (speeding, texting, or driving after having a few beers) if your mom was watching?
What about the example you are setting for those who look up to you? Studies show that 56 percent of teens rely on their parents to learn how to drive. According to www.dosomthing.org, teen drivers with involved parents are twice as likely to wear seat belts. What message do you want them to receive through your driving behaviors?
Find out why is this mom is celebrating Mother’s Day without her son. https://youtu.be/ELo2mHtEDyg
The fatality count of 105 is an increase of six from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://bit.ly/1QFbcyj.
Message Monday - May 2, 2016 - Even Superman wears a belt - buckle up
May 2, 2016
Every fashionable superhero knows that a belt completes their guardian garb. Every time you ride in a vehicle you can complete your guardian garb by clicking your seat belt. It is the single most important thing you can do to help save your life in a crash. After all, safety is always in fashion.
Everyone has loved ones who count on them. Clicking your belt allows every superdad, supermom, or superperson to continue to be a hero to those who look up to them.
“Do the Clark Kent” https://youtu.be/_KYfxjpA8TM
The fatality count of 99 is an increase of 11 from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://bit.ly/1QFbcyj.