Message Monday - Work zones = no phone zones

April 26, 2021

Today marks the beginning of the 2021 National Work Zone Awareness Week. If you’ve driven anywhere in Iowa in the last few weeks, you’ve likely noticed highway work zones popping up all over. These work zones can be temporary, like the ones that are set up to patch potholes, or longer-term for things like replacing a bridge. But whatever the work zone might look like, there’s very little room for error on the part of passing motorists.

Nationally and in Iowa, rear-end crashes are the most common type of work zone incident. These types of crashes happen most often when a driver isn’t paying attention or is going too fast and doesn’t realize traffic ahead has slowed down.

Message Monday - Only the casserole should be baked. Don't drive high

April 19, 2021

Since the state of Colorado legalized the use of recreational marijuana in 2014, that state has continued to see an increase in cannabis-related traffic crashes and fatalities. In 2018, 13.5 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Colorado tested positive for cannabis. It’s important to remember that even if marijuana use is legal in a state, driving impaired is not. As Iowa’s neighboring states legalize recreational marijuana, we’re bracing for an uptick in impaired driving crashes and fatalities here, too.

Message Monday - The power to slow down is in your foot

April 12, 2021

As you may have heard on the news, excessive speed has been a dangerous issue on America’s roadways, especially in the last year. While we can’t be sure what these drivers are thinking, we can assume they are going so fast because they think there is less risk with fewer cars on the road. Or maybe they have heard rumors that law enforcement officers are not out on the roads due to the pandemic. Neither of these assumptions is true.

Message Monday - Be a champion for your family. Put the phone down.

April 5, 2021

What does it mean to be a champion? One definition is “a person who fights or argues for a cause or on behalf of someone else.” We need “champions” in the fight against distracted driving. 

In your family, be the one who takes the lead to protect your clan. Stowing your phone when you’re driving shows your family and others riding with you that you’re serious about their wellbeing and models the kind of behavior you would like to see from them.

Message Monday - Safe driving is a game changer - bet ya house!

March 29, 2021

Our vehicles continue to get smarter and safer. From seat belts to anti-lock brakes to safety glass and crumple zones, vehicles have never provided better protection. But technology can only do so much. The decisions you make when you’re behind the wheel can make all the difference between life and death in a crash.

Message Monday - Perfect brackets don't survive. You can. Buckle up

March 22, 2021

With 68 games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the NCAA estimates your chances of completing a perfect bracket are about 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 – that’s if you just guess or flip a coin for each game with no other knowledge of basketball.

Your odds of winning are better if you have more knowledge of the teams, their histories and the sport itself. That philosophy isn’t different for driving. If you know your own habits, the way your vehicle operates, and the rules of the road, your chances of survival increase dramatically.

Message Monday - Lost sleep? Find it in a rest area

March 15, 2021

With the start of daylight savings time, many of us “lose” an hour of sleep. Can that impact the way you drive? Getting accurate data on the number of people injured or killed in drowsy-driving crashes is not possible, yet we know the problem exists from people self-reporting drowsiness as an issue in some crashes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sleepiness can result in crashes any time of the day or night, but three factors are most commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes.

Message Monday - Low inflation - good for economy, bad for tires

March 8, 2021

Fluctuations in temperatures this time of year can cause the air pressure in your tires to fluctuate, too. Why should you care? Proper tire inflation can not only improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, it can help prolong the life of your tires and reduce the risk of tire failure.

Message Monday - Don't stay left when you can drive right

March 1, 2021

How well a transportation system functions can depend on whether or not the system designers and users are on the same page. Take the left lane of a divided highway. Over the decades, road designers’ premise has been that the right lane is to be used for general traffic and the left lane is to be used for passing.

When a driver stays in the left lane and travels slower than the pace of traffic, the way the system flows can be disrupted, sometimes leading to frustration from the other drivers on the road.

Message Monday - Cruise control on black ice is not Iowa nice

February 22, 2021

By this time of year, most of us are used to driving in winter weather conditions. But we need to keep our guard up for a roadway danger that is unpredictable and difficult to respond to – black ice.

Also known as clear ice, this unexpected and often hard-to-see thin layer of transparent ice on the road can cause your vehicle to skid and you to lose control. Here are some tips for driving on Iowa’s wintry roads: