Personnel Updates for Oct. 4 to Oct. 17, 2019

October 28, 2019

Information provided by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

Message Monday - Hocus Pocus Time to Focus

October 28, 2019

There’s no magic potion or mysterious spell that will turn you into a safer driver. Our lives are busier than ever, most drivers feel fairly confident behind the wheel, and vehicles are easier to operate than ever. That combination leads many of us to try to accomplish other tasks while we should be concentrating on our driving.

Whether you’re joining a conference call from the road, eating lunch, scheduling your kids’ soccer practice via text message, or touching up your appearance, any activity that isn’t directly related to the task of driving can be a dangerous distraction.

Message Monday - Feeling tipsy makes driving risky

October 21, 2019

It’s been a long Monday and you feel like stopping to have a drink or two with friends. Do you have a plan to get home?

That may be a question you don’t even consider because you’re don’t feel drunk, just a little buzzed. Buzzed driving can be defined as driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 to .07, and although you’re technically under the legal limit for driving, driving while buzzed can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.

Gallup Survey – What to expect with second survey

October 15, 2019

At both the Leadership Conference held in September, and in Mark’s August - September Director’s Report, we announced the second employee engagement survey would be launched within the next month. We now know that the survey should be delivered to your inbox on Oct 24 or soon after, almost one year from the original survey launch. Because the invitation to participate in the survey comes from Gallup, we will send you a reminder email a day or two before the survey comes out to look for it in your inbox.

Personnel Updates for Sept. 20 to Oct. 3, 2019

October 14, 2019

Information provided by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

Strategic Highway Safety Plan outlines strategies to reduce crashes on Iowa roadways

October 14, 2019

When you leave your home, get into your car, and set a course for a certain destination, you expect to have a safe trip on reliable roads and bridges. That expectation only happens with a lot of behind-the-scenes planning from a network of professionals who use a variety of tools.

One of the tools traffic safety professionals use is a Strategic Highway Safety Plan. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, an SHSP is a “statewide coordinated safety plan that provides a comprehensive framework for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.”

The Iowa DOT has long been a national leader in traffic safety. Our long-term, strategic approach dates back several decades, so the development of a formal plan is second nature to us. Earlier this year, the Iowa DOT and our safety partners released the fourth version of the plan covering 2019-2023.

Message Monday - Unforgettable, that's what you are

October 14, 2019

Gone but not forgotten. The 255 mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends who have died in Iowa traffic crashes this year will continue to live daily in the memories of their loved ones.

Some of these lost loved ones made decisions behind the wheel that ultimately cost them their life. But many others were simply caught in the aftermath of someone else’s bad decisions. National research shows that 94 percent of all traffic fatalities occur because someone made one or more bad choices. Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, allowing yourself to become distracted when you’re behind the wheel, driving when you’re tired, speeding, and not wearing your seat belt are all major contributing factors to traffic deaths.

Message Monday- Your car shouldn't fly - but your "REAL ID" can

October 7, 2019

Of course, you shouldn’t go fast enough that your vehicle will “fly,” but after Oct. 1, 2020, you can “fly” through airport security if you have a REAL ID.

If you plan to use your driver’s license or DOT-issued ID as proof of identity when you fly, starting October 1, 2020, you will need to make sure your card is marked with the REAL ID gold star in the upper right corner. A REAL ID marked card is also necessary if you want to enter a federal building or nuclear power plant that requires an ID to enter.

REAL ID deadline one year away, but there’s no need to wait to get your gold star

October 1, 2019

One year may seem like a long time, but the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Iowa Airports came together today to encourage anyone who plans on flying on a commercial airline or entering a federal building after Oct. 1, 2020, to consider obtaining a REAL ID sooner rather than later.

October 2019 Service awards

October 1, 2019

Information provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau