Category: Roadside Chat
Roadside Chat – Using your blinker. Very demure. Very mindful.
September 27, 2024
The whole world seems to be talking about being “demure” and “mindful.” But what does that actually mean? According to Jools Lebron the TikToker who started the trending phrase, it refers to “a refined, subtle elegance in various contexts.” What could be more refined and elegant than helping others sharing the road with you understand where you are going by using your turn signal?
Roadside Chat – Jolene, Jolene I'm begging you to buckle your kids
September 20, 2024
In Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit she famously begs a beauty named Jolene to not take her man away from her. Much like Jolene, the road can be a cruel mistress taking those we love away from us by not practicing safe behaviors.
One simple thing you can do to keep those you love safe from the dangers of the road is make sure that your kids, or anyone in your vehicle for that matter, are safely buckled, every trip, every time.
Roadside Chat – Friday the 13th – Avoid ladders and speeding
September 13, 2024
In Western superstition, a Friday that falls on the thirteenth day of the month is considered bad luck. There are many stories about the origin of the superstition and a whole franchise showcases the bad luck of the characters that appear in the movies.
For many, Friday the thirteenth is a day where you should not tempt fate and avoid things like walking under ladders, opening an umbrella inside, or placing a mirror in a place where it could break. Other risky behavior that is smart to avoid any day of the month is speeding behind the wheel.
Roadside Chat – Cyclone or Hawkeye? Both wear helmets – just sayin.'
September 6, 2024
This weekend Iowa’s annual CyHawk series takes place in Iowa City. Whether you are rooting for the team in cardinal and gold or the one in black and gold, one piece of equipment that is consistent on both sides of the field is a helmet.
Roadside Chat – Drive High – Get OWI
August 30, 2024
It doesn’t matter what term you use — high, stoned, or wasted. It also doesn’t matter if the substance was legally or illegally obtained. Getting behind the wheel after using any type of substance that can impair you is extremely dangerous. In every U.S. state and territory, it is illegal to drive under the influence of drugs — no exceptions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here are some ways that substances can impair your ability to drive.
- Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can slow coordination, judgment, and reaction times.
- Cocaine and methamphetamine can make drivers more aggressive and reckless.
- Using two or more drugs at the same time, including alcohol, can amplify the impairing effects of each drug a person has consumed.
- Some prescription and over-the-counter medicinescan cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects. Read and follow all warning labels before driving, and note that warnings against “operating heavy machinery” include driving a vehicle.
Roadside Chat – Drive chill - be cool. Kids are back in school
August 23, 2024
Today marks the first day of school for many Iowa students. As kids and their parents settle back into their routines the roads might look a bit different than they did during the summer months. While most people think of encountering school traffic in the city, near schools, you need to be school-aware in residential areas and out in the country.
Even if you aren’t personally a part of the school traffic, you still need to be aware of the changes happening around you.
Roadside Chat – Chips & dips. Tailgating may add both to your car.
August 16, 2024
This weekend wraps up the Iowa State Fair which means tailgating season is right around the corner! A snack staple for tailgate parties is chips and dips. While delicious in your belly, they aren’t so great when they end up on your car.
One way to avoid chips and dips on your car is to leave the tailgating to football parking lots and keep it off the highway. Tailgating falls into the category of aggressive driving which according to AAA, also includes speeding in heavy traffic, cutting in front of another driver and then slowing down, running red lights, weaving in and out of traffic, changing lanes without signaling, and blocking cars attempting to pass or change lanes.
Roadside Chat – Got fair fever? Eat a pork chop & buckle your ham.
August 9, 2024
Today marks day number two of an Iowa tradition, the State Fair. According to the Fair’s website, “Fair Fever is contagious and only a prescription of Fair food, games, rides, competition, and over-the top entertainment will cure it.”
Roadside Chat – Track speed wins gold. Road speed wins a ticket.
August 2, 2024
The Olympics are in full swing and at the time of this writing America was in second place for the highest number of gold medals. This weekend’s schedule is filled with various track and field events where pushing for faster and faster speeds can win you a shot at a gold medal.
Unfortunately, speeding while behind the wheel will not earn you the same accolades. It could easily earn you a ticket or worse, have deadly consequences.
Roadside Chat – Leave the flipping to Suni and Simone. Drive safe speeds.
July 26, 2024
Today marks the opening of the 2024 Olympics in Paris and America’s fascination with the skills of talented athletes such as gymnasts Suni Lee and Simone Biles. While the art of flips and spins can be awe-inspiring on the mat, those same moves can have dire effects when they occur on the road.