Message Monday - Have some class, stay off my bumper

January 29, 2018

We get it, you have a schedule to keep. Maybe the kids need to be picked up or you are running late to school or a meeting. But one of the less-than-positive messages you’re sending when you drive aggressively is that you’re the most important person in the world and your time is more valuable than anyone else’s time.

Tailgating is just one aggressive behavior. Frequent or unsafe lane changes, failing to use your signal or yield to other vehicles and trying to beat a yellow light are a few others.

Personnel Updates for Dec. 29, 2017 – Jan. 11, 2018

January 24, 2018

Information provided by the Office of Employee Services

Message Monday - Be protected, not projected. Buckle up

January 22, 2018

Iowans do a good job of buckling up when they are driving or riding, at least while they are in the front seat. Our 2017 seatbelt survey shows more than 91.4 percent of drivers and front seat passengers are belted. But unfortunately, that is down from 93.8 percent in 2016. This survey is required by the federal government, but it doesn’t count those riding in the back seat of the vehicle.

Iowa law requires minors to be secured in a vehicle in a safety seat or seat belt deemed appropriate for the child’s height and weight. Most parents do a good job following the law to keep their kids safe.

Message Monday - Life is a highway - drive safely all day long

January 15, 2018

Ever feel like you spend most of your time in the car? Data shows the longest commute time in Iowa is by those who live in Guthrie county with an average commute time of 27.3 minutes.

While commuters in other parts of the country would laugh at Iowans talking about commute times like that as a problem, it only takes a second behind the wheel for something to go terribly wrong.

Kyle Bennett – 2017 Design Employee of the Year

January 11, 2018

We’re all about data at the Iowa Department of Transportation. Getting the data strings to weave together in a useful way is just one of the ways the 2017 Design Employee of the Year, Kyle Bennett, helps his team in the methods section and all of the designers he works with.

Automation is Bennett’s main work product. “Our section is here for support,” said Bennett, a 14-year Iowa DOT employee. “We’re always looking for ways to do things faster and better. If we can’t find a way that’s already on the market, we’ll create one.”

Personnel Updates for Dec. 15 – Dec. 28, 2017

January 8, 2018

Information provided by the Office of Employee Services

Message Monday - Don't get "all shook up" buckle your belt

January 8, 2018

A well'a bless my soul - What'sa wrong with me?

Rock and Roll icon Elvis Presley would have been 83 today. When he was getting all shook up back in 1957, could it be because he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt?

The sad reality is that 101 of the 331 people who died on Iowa roads in 2017 might still be alive today if they had been wearing a seatbelt.

January 2018 Service Awards

January 2, 2018

Information Provided by the Office of Employee Services

Message Monday - New Year's Resolution ... Zero Fatalities

January 1, 2018

How long do your New Year’s resolutions typically last – a week, a month or longer? Tracking your progress is one way to assess how you’re doing. That’s what we do every Monday with signs over the highway and on social media with our Message Monday program.

The preliminary fatality count on Iowa roads for 2017 is 329 people. While that number is better than the 402 people killed on the roads in 2016, that is still 329 too many.