Des Moines, IA- The Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement during the month of April to help curb distracted driving. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. In 2022, over 9,000 crashes on Iowa roadways were due to distracted or inattentive drivers. These accidents are responsible for 20 deaths, 3,652 injured persons, and over $81 million dollars in property damage. Sergeant Alex Dinkla with the Iowa State Patrol says, "Distracted driving is a leading cause of vehicle crashes on Iowa's roads, and most of this distraction is attributed to using electronic devices. People know texting and driving is dangerous and illegal, but they do it anyway, and it puts others at risk." Starting on April 3rd, drivers will see increased law enforcement efforts, stopping and ticketing those found texting and driving. The GTSB encourages drivers to use hands free options when using a mobile device in a vehicle.
DES MOINES — Iowa’s digital traffic billboards have gotten into the holiday spirit, with safety messages the past two weeks borrowing from famously funny lines from classic Christmas movies.
Federal highway safety officials told New Jersey to stop posting funny messages; Iowa DOT officials say they have not yet heard from the federal government about its program
Burlington, IA- The Burlington Police Department has announced the results of an evening time saturation project conducted by local law enforcement. According to a news release, on Thursday, September 15th, the Burlington Police Department in coordination with the Iowa State Patrol, Des Moines County Sheriff's Office, and West Burlington Police Department conducted an evening time saturation patrol project. This project was focused on identifying impaired drivers. Law enforcement conducted several traffic stops during this project which resulted in a multitude of traffic citations being issued. Law enforcement also made several arrests based on these traffic stops to include warrants, weapons violations, and drug offenses. The project was partially funded by the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau.