Archives: July 2016
Message Monday - The road is no place for a Pokemon chase
July 25, 2016
Gotta catch ‘em all? Nope, you really don’t need to catch anything while you’re driving.
We love Pokémon Go as much as anyone, and understand it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the chase. Don’t let the thrill of capturing Pikachu take your attention away from the task at hand. You might think playing while driving is no big deal, but it significantly increases your chances of causing hax* on traffic.
There are so many interesting places to play Pokémon Go, but your vehicle isn’t one of them. For your own safety and those around you, put the phone away while driving.
*An event which critically affects the outcome of a match
Personnel Updates for July 1-July 14, 2016
July 22, 2016
Information provided by the Office of Employee Services
Message Monday - Who ya gonna call? NOBODY - you're driving!
July 18, 2016
What’s your most compelling reason to take your attention away from driving? Are ghosts invading Manhattan and you need to call for help or are you simply going to be a couple minutes late for dinner and want to let your sweetie know? In either case, the consequences that can come from making the call far outweigh the benefits.
Here’s an idea, maybe someone should invent a phone that shoots ectoplasm at you if you talk while driving? Since that doesn’t seem to be happening any time soon, use your otherworldly powers and simply keep your phone out of your hands while driving.
So… who are you going to call? https://youtu.be/2AQ44nPrRTM?t=23s
The fatality count of 198 is an increase of 10 from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf
1,153 trucks inspected during Roadcheck 2016
July 14, 2016
In North America, a recent study showed 60 percent of freight moves by truck. As anyone who drives Interstate 80 knows, the amount of truck traffic can be intimidating. The Mid-America Freight Coalition considers I-80 to be a Tier 1 freight corridor because it is one of the few highways allowing freight to travel from coast to coast on a single route.
Making sure these trucks and drivers are roadworthy and not a danger to other motorists is one of the jobs of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement. Every year this group, along with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and others, conducts a 72-hour continuous enforcement activity known as International Roadcheck.
This year, Iowa’s part of International Roadcheck was the Iowa DOT’s scale on I-80 in Jasper County. Motor vehicle enforcement officers were on the job night and day during this 72-hour period checking vehicles and their drivers for safety. In addition, roving patrols performed vehicle and driver safety inspections on other highways. International Roadcheck 2016 placed special emphasis on ensuring compliance and safety for vehicles transporting hazardous materials.
Message Monday - Turn signals, the original instant message
July 11, 2016
As far back as 1907, people saw a need for drivers to communicate their intentions on the roadway. In that year Percy Douglas-Hamilton applied for a patent for a device “indicating the intended movements of vehicles.” On the original patent request, the lights were shaped like hands. Previous to the lighted version, drivers used hands signals to indicate intentions, so it made sense that the lights correspond to the hand signals. None of the auto makers at the time seemed interested in the safety innovation.
Time marched on and a variety of other turn signal ideas followed. In the U.S., Buick was the first to install turn signals as a factory-installed safety feature in 1938-39. After WWII, these signals became more common on most models of American made vehicles. It wasn’t until the 1968 model year that federal standards mandated amber lens front turn signals and either amber or red rear turn signals.
Personnel Updates for June 17-June 30, 2016
July 8, 2016
Information provided by the Office of Employee Services
Message Monday - July 4, 2016 - Be a firework. Spark responsible driving
July 4, 2016
Getting to our goal of Zero Fatalities is going to take nothing less than a change in our culture that supports the notion that people don't have to die in vehicle crashes.
Too many people think dying in a crash is just part of the risk of driving. Did you know 94 percent of crashes can be traced back to bad decisions the driver made? Whether those decisions include driving impaired (drunk, drugged, or drowsy), distractions, not wearing a seat belt, or exceeding the speed limit, nearly every crash is the result of someone making at least one, if not multiple, bad choices.
Each one of us faces hundreds of choices every day. Be a firework and spark a movement of safe driving. Katy Perry says it best - "There's a spark in you." https://youtu.be/QGJuMBdaqIw
The fatality count of 181 is an increase of 18 from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf