Bringing home a new baby can be overwhelming. There are so many things to think about to keep your child safe. One of the most important is making sure your child’s car seat is secured properly in your vehicle and that your child is correctly buckled into the car seat. This advice is not only for newborns. The safest place for your child is in the appropriate child safety seat, which changes as they grow.
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
You can’t slow Rosie Osterburg down. With several decades under her belt, Osterburg, who lives in Spencer, doesn’t drive, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get wherever she needs to go. From her exercise classes four days a week at the local YMCA to medical appointments in Sioux City, Osterburg relies on her rural transit system called RIDES to help her maintain her schedule.
We exist to make lives better through transportation, but what happens when transportation improvements and the desire to preserve part of our history intersect?
Our mission is to provide a safe and efficient transportation system, and as we deliver the projects that achieve that mission, we also follow federal and state laws that ensure environmental stewardship. As planning progressed for a bank stabilization along the Little Sioux River and Iowa 31, Iowa DOT Location and Environment Bureau staff realized early on that this particular project would be very different than most. Archaeologist Brennan Dolan shared “we recognized from day one that this project would be mostly contained within the boundaries of a large prehistoric village site.” Following months of planning, archaeological excavation, and construction, in June the State Historical Society of Iowa awarded the Iowa DOT the 2021 Excellence in Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award.
Next week is Rail Safety Week in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Here in Iowa, we rely on our railroads to move the things we produce to markets around the world. While trains are a vital part of our transportation system and have captivated the imagination of generations, there are dangers associated when vehicle and train traffic mix. According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, 1,901 highway-rail grade crossing collisions occurred in the U.S. in 2020. During that same time, there were 25 crashes between trains and vehicles at public rail crossings in Iowa.
We’ve all been very aware of the health issues swirling around the world related to COVID-19, but with so much of the attention being placed on the pandemic, we can’t forget that there are other public health issues out there, as well.
Obviously “lead foot” isn’t a real disease, but it is a mindset that can be cured. The bottom line is that speeding to get where you’re going quicker doesn’t justify the risk you pose to yourself and those on the road around you.
Information supplied by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems
NOTE: Innovation often happens as a progression over time. Little improvements that are passed organically are combined with other improvements gradually changing the way we do business. Often times we are unaware of everyone involved with the innovation. Since this article was originally posted, we’ve heard from several of our innovators in Iowa DOT garages including those in Denison, Ida Grove, Pacific Junction, and Boone who have fabricated other edge rut chutes designed to make the work of our maintenance crews easier and more efficient. We apologize for anyone who was unintentionally not recognized in the article and we're proud of all of our innovators who take on challenges and solve problems in the name of making lives better through transportation. Thanks to all of the dedicated employees for their creativity!
As you’re driving along you probably don’t think much about the edge of the road and the rock that transitions between the paved shoulder and the ditch. The rock is meant to help you safely transition back onto the pavement. However, sometimes that rock settles or is moved by weather or traffic causing a rut to develop along the pavement. When this happens that rut may catch your tire and pull your vehicle in an unexpected way, potentially causing a safety issue.
What are friends for? Turns out they can be lifesavers. We’re nearing the end of summer and many of us have a three-day weekend ahead. If that long weekend includes gatherings that involve drinking alcohol, be a friend and make sure those you care about have a safe, sober ride home.
Over the Labor Day weekend in 2019, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted on its website, https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over, that 451 traffic deaths were recorded in the three-day period. Of those, 45 percent involved a driver who had been drinking and 38 percent with a driver who was legally drunk.
Information provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau
