Transportation Matters in Iowa

Archives: October 2021

Roadside chat- Put.down.the.phone

Roadside chat- Put.down.the.phone

October 29, 2021

10-29 put down the phoneIf you’re behind the wheel, heeding these four words could save your life, the lives of those in the vehicle with you, or others on the road around you.

We all have a lot going on and the fear of missing out if we’re not constantly connected is real. But that attachment to your phone can be unhealthy and imminently dangerous if you are trying to keep up with what’s going on in your phone while you’re driving.

Roadside Chat - For flashing lights, do what's right. Move over.

Roadside Chat - For flashing lights, do what's right. Move over.

October 22, 2021

10-22 flashing lightsDid you pass right by National Move Over Day? Last Friday some Americans paused to recognize the danger faced by our first responders and others who work alongside the road. But keeping our Iowa DOT road warriors safe takes more than just a day to remember to move over or slow down, so we’re keeping the “move over” momentum going all year long because these brave men and women need your assistance every day.

Personnel updates for Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, 2021

Personnel updates for Oct. 1 to Oct. 14, 2021

October 21, 2021

New personnel imageInformation supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa DOT weather resource - new look, additional information

Iowa DOT weather resource - new look, additional information

October 21, 2021

Weather screen shotHaving an accurate weather forecast is critical to helping us keep Iowa roads in great shape, no matter what the season. Working with our weather vendor, DTN, we rolled out a new weather product on Oct. 1, just in time for winter preparations. The new website, ClearPath, (https://iowadot.clearpathweather.com) replaces the previous WeatherSentry site.

Craig Bargfrede of the Maintenance Bureau said, “The new weather package has all the elements we depend on plus the benefit of a road condition forecast that we’ll be testing over this winter season. It will also include enhanced year-round information, including daily video forecasts 365 days a year.”

Getting our new team members safely on the road

Getting our new team members safely on the road

October 20, 2021

IMG_6452The first day on a job can be exciting and a bit intimidating, especially if that job includes working on a highway with traffic whizzing by you at 60 mph or greater. To make sure we are living our core value of “safety first” and preparing our new field staff to be as safe and successful as possible on the road, we’ve recently implemented a more formalized training system to assure new team members have the skills they need to safely come back home to their loved ones after every shift.

Roadside chat - Your driving focus needs more focus

Roadside chat - Your driving focus needs more focus

October 15, 2021

10-15 your focus needs more focusWhat takes your attention away from the road when you’re driving? As we head into Teen Driver Safety Week, let’s take a look at common distractions that affect everyone, not just teens, that you might not realize pose a risk behind the wheel.

A recent study showed the danger of the following behaviors.

Roadside Chat - Better late than never. Slow down

Roadside Chat - Better late than never. Slow down

October 8, 2021

10-8 Better late than neverThe pandemic has impacted our lives in many different ways. One unexpected way law enforcement officials are seeing is a significant increase in speeding, especially excessive speed of more than 100 mph. While Iowa law enforcement has seen a large uptick in speeding across all roadways, it’s not just us. The issue is being seen in many states around the country.

But are you really saving that much time by speeding? Here’s the math done by one researcher:

Personnel updates Sept. 17 to Sept. 30, 2021

Personnel updates Sept. 17 to Sept. 30, 2021

October 7, 2021

New personnel imageInformation supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2021 service awards

October 2021 service awards

October 1, 2021

ServiceawardInformation provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roadside Chat - Don't be a wildcard. Put the  phone down.

Roadside Chat - Don't be a wildcard. Put the phone down.

October 1, 2021

10-1 dont be a wildcardPredictability, it’s one of the things that contributes most to safe driving. Understanding what to expect from other drivers and alerting other drivers to your intentions - these two actions prevent unexpected movements that can cause crashes.

When a driver clicks on the turn signal, you can be pretty sure that the vehicle is going to turn a corner or switch lanes on a highway. That predictability is also the reason stop signs and other roadway signs are effective. For the most part, you can count on other drivers to do the predictable thing when there is a sign to guide them.

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